The Blues went on to win the Champions League last year in Thomas Tuchel’s first season after beating Real Madrid in the semifinals.
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This will arguably be the most-anticipated fixture in the Champions League quarterfinal. In a repeat of last season’s meeting, both Chelsea and Real Madrid will face each other in a round earlier compared to last year. In the 2020-21 season, they took on each other in the semifinals. Chelsea won 2-0 at Stamford Bridge following a draw in the first leg in Spain. The Blues went on to win the Champions League last year in Thomas Tuchel’s first season. A year later, Chelsea will find it difficult to retain the coveted European trophy.
For Chelsea, most of the uncertainty surrounds the ownership debacle. It is not clear in what direction the team will head in the future. To Tuhel’s credit, they have managed to maintain their form on the pitch despite all the outside noise. Having said that their 6-game unbeaten run in all competitions came to a disappointing end, with a 4-1 hammering against Brentford at the weekend in Premier League. After taking the lead, the Blues suffered a monumental collapse in front of a shell-shocked Stamford Bridge crowd. The manager will hope that the result will have no effect on their Champions League campaign.
Real Madrid, on the other hand, will be heading into this fixture with a mixed set of emotions. After being outplayed for nearly three halves against Paris Saint-Germain in the previous round, they produced a famous comeback to knock out the French giants, largely thanks to Karim Benzema’s hat-trick. However, they had a massive reality check during a 4-0 defeat against Barcelona in La Liga. Real Madrid have to regroup themselves to find a way against Tuchel’s well-drilled Premier League side.
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Both teams will have the majority of their first-team players available for this clash. For Chelsea, left-back Ben Chilwell is out for the long-term and Callum Hudson-Odoi could also miss the clash with a back problem and sore Achilles. Christian Pulisic, who returned late from international duty with the United States, will most likely be in contention for the first-leg clash. Meanwhile, Reece James’s return to fitness could force Tuchel to play with a back three in defence. Jorginho or Mateo Kovacic are also expected to get straight into the starting line-up.
On the other hand, Eden Hazard will not be able to visit his former club after undergoing a fibular plate operation. Besides, second-choice striker Luka Jovic is also a doubt for the clash due to an ankle problem. Otherwise, Carlo Ancelotti has more or less the full squad to choose from for the first-leg encounter.
Chelsea possible line-up: Mendy, James, Azpilicueta, Silva, Rudiger, Alonso, Jorginho, Kovacic, Ziyech, Havertz, Pulisic
Real Madrid possible line-up: Courtois, Carvajal, Militao, Alaba, Mendy, Casemiro, Kroos, Modric, Asensio, Benzema, Vinicius Junior
The Champions League quarter-final first-leg fixture between Chelsea and Real Madrid will take place at Stamford Bridge and it will kick-off at 12:30 am IST on Thursday, April 7.
The match will be live streamed on the SonyLIV app and website, and the JioTV mobile app. Meanwhile, football fans in India can also enjoy the action on TV networks, as the competition is telecast on the Sony Ten network.
