After a brilliant night of European football, the focus now shifts to the Spanish capital as Chelsea will take on Real Madrid in the first leg of UEFA Champions League quarter final.
Real Madrid and Chelsea are the last two winners of the Champions League and this is the third consecutive year they face off each other in a knockout match, on the way to their 14th triumph Real Madrid beat Chelsea last season at the same juncture. Chelsea and Real Madrid won the Champions League in 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons respectively.
Chelsea is having a substandard season domestically with couple of managerial changes and several crucial injuries. The London club travel to Madrid knowing their fate of playing European football next season stumble upon this tie as they sit 11th in the Premier League, 17 points behind fourth placed Manchester United.
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Despite splashing vast amounts in the transfer window, Graham Potter’s short lived era was a disaster for Chelsea fans. Frank Lampard the club legend was appointed as caretaker until the end of the season after Chelsea parted ways with Potter. Although his second stint didn’t start off well as Chelsea come into this game after a defeat against Wolves last sunday.
Although Chelsea’s poor performances raised some questions, they have shown great quality and intent in the knockouts and overcame a first leg deficit to beat Dortmund 2-1. Lampard has won the Champions League with Chelsea back in 2012 and knows how to get things done in such anticipated fixtures. The return of Thiago Silva and Mason Mount will boost the confidence in Chelsea’s dressing room.
On the other hand the reigning European champions are having a roller-coaster ride, after overturning a Copa Del Rey tie against Barcelona at Camp Nou, Los Blancos come into this game after a 3-2 defeat against Villareal at the Santiago Bernabeu. With Ferland Mendy out with long injury Ancelotti won’t find much problem fielding his best 11 as Camavinga and club veteran Nacho has been filling his void pretty well. Modric and Kroos started in the bench against Villareal and are likely to start against the London club.
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Real Madrid thrashed Liverpool in the RO-16 as Madrid’s dynamic duo of Vinicius and Benzema ran riot against Klopp’s men. After last season’s miraculous run to win their 14th title Real Madrid once again will have their eyes set on Europe’s most coveted prize.
Possible Line ups –
Real Madrid: (4-3-3) Carvajal, Militao, Rudiger, Alaba, Modric, Camavinga, Kroos, Valverde, Benzema, Vinicius.
Chelsea: (4-3-3) Reece James, Fofana, Koulibaly, Chilwell, Kovacic, Enzo Fernandez, Kante, Sterling, Havertz, Joao Felix.
Predictions:
4-1 to Real Madrid, Karim Benzema to score a brace.
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