Chelsea is just fine with being labeled the underdog against favored Bayern Munich in the Champions League final, stand-in captain Frank Lampard said Friday.
Lampard acknowledged that Bayern has an advantage playing in the ''amazing'' atmosphere of its home Allianz Arena stadium on Saturday.
''Bring it on,'' Lampard said at a news conference. ''The fact they are the home team is a great challenge for us. As long as you believe in yourself, and have a quiet focus and determination, and you believe you can win the game.''
Two years after UEFA selected Munich to host the showpiece match, Bayern would be the third team to clinch the European club title on home turf, and the first since Inter Milan in 1965.
''To get changed in your home dressing room that you're used to, to play on the pitch you're used to ... that's brilliant,'' Lampard conceded. ''It gives them an advantage.''
Lampard will lead Chelsea in the absence of regular captain John Terry, who is suspended after being sent off during Chelsea's unlikely semifinal elimination of defending champion Barcelona.
That epic performance - fighting back from two goals down for a 2-2 draw in the second leg, and a 3-2 aggregate victory - has helped fuel Chelsea's self belief.
Chelsea interim coach Roberto di Matteo believes it also showed Lampard's leadership quality.
''In the Nou Camp with 10 men down he was outstanding,'' Di Matteo said ''He's led the group and I think he's a natural leader. You might not always look at him like that. But when you need him, you know, the player is there, the man is there. He's a proper man.''
Di Matteo heaped praise on his players whose seasons - and in some cases, careers - were being written off as Chelsea struggled under coach Andre Villas-Boas, who was fired in March.
''It was important to remind these guys that they're fantastic players, have been for many years and you don't lose that in half a season,'' said Di Matteo, who was promoted from his assistant coaching role to salvage Chelsea's Champions League campaign.
Even Bayern Munich coach Jupp Heynckes praised his counterpart Friday, urging Chelsea's billionaire owner Roman Abramovich to remove Di Matteo's interim tag.
''I'm not thinking personally,'' said the 41-year-old Di Matteo. ''I just try to think about these players, this group.''
Defenders David Luiz and Gary Cahill figure high in those thoughts, as both seek to return from hamstring injuries to replace Terry and Branislav Ivanovic, who is also suspended.
''Cahill and Luiz trained the whole week and we're very hopeful. (Florent) Malouda will join the group today,'' Di Matteo said, referring to the France winger who also had hamstring issues.
The Italian coach said it ''wasn't relevant'' for him to discuss his future with Chelsea's hierarchy before arriving in Munich.
Despite Chelsea's turnaround under his leadership - which included winning the FA Cup - many wonder whether Abramovich may still opt to hire a more famous name as manager next season even if the team wins on Saturday.
Chelsea's players have long been said to influence a coach's chances of surviving, and Lampard smiled when asked if he was contacted directly by Abramovich in recent days.
''People think that at Chelsea we ring up the owner every now and again and decide who comes and who gets sacked,'' he said. ''That's not how it work at this club.''
Lampard said a player's ''eye is off the ball'' if he becomes concerned with club politics, though praised Di Matteo for doing a ''perfect job.''
''If we win I'll be very, very pleased for the manager,'' Lampard said. ''If anyone deserves to win the game tomorrow, as much as anyone it's him for the job he's done.''
