Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has urged his players to embrace the roll of underdog when they face perennial German champions Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Lampard said Bayern warrant their tags as favourites to progress from their two-legged Champions League last-16 tie, with the first match taking place at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.
Bayern have won the last seven Bundesliga shields and are five-time European Cup winners.
Former Chelsea midfielder Lampard knows just how tough it is to take on the German giants, as well as upsetting them. Minus a host of star players, Lampard was part of the Chelsea team that traveled to Bayern's Allianz Arena for the 2012 Champions League final, defeating the Bavarians on penalties.
"I think the underdog talk for a game like this is better to come from outside, from people looking out to in," Lampard said.
"My job is just to prepare the game, look at the opponent and see if we can find weaknesses there. I understand if people do call us the underdog because their team is so strong and they have so much experience.
"But these things change. The underdog is there to change things around. We all love an underdog story and they are some of the best stories in sport."
The former England midfielder said he will keep faith in his young charges, and will address his squad specifically about the hike in pressure and quality that comes with top-level knockout football in European competition.
"I've got no doubts about starting any of the young players, I trust in all the players who have been part of the squad this year," Lampard said.
"They've earned trust in the way they've played. It changes slightly when it gets to the knockout stages and I'll speak to all the players about what that means.
"We've got players with Champions League experience in the squad but we've also got young players at the first stages of their careers.
"A big part of my job is to explain to the players that over two legs we need to be at our maximum. We need every detail, every box ticked in both games."
Chelsea will be without injured trio Christian Pulisic, Callum Hudson-Odoi and N'Golo Kante on Tuesday, but Ruben Loftus-Cheek will be in the match squad.
The England midfielder was an unused replacement in Saturday's 2-1 Premier League win over Tottenham Hotspur for his first involvement of the campaign, and is accelerating his recovery after a long-term Achilles injury.
