UCL: Preview: Real Madrid vs. Chelsea – prediction, team news, lineups
Seeking to spark a phenomenal turnaround against this season’s Champions League comeback kings, Chelsea visit the Bernabeu for the second leg of their European quarter-final on Tuesday night.
The defending champions head to the Spanish capital after being sunk 3-1 in the first leg at Stamford Bridge, with one illustrious Frenchman doing the damage on the night as either Manchester City or Atletico Madrid lie in wait in the semi-finals.
Benzema made it back-to-back European trebles with an extraordinary showing at Stamford Bridge – scoring two early headers with the aplomb of the seasoned centre-forward that he is before taking home the match ball after Edouard Mendy’s uncharacteristic mistake.
A second successive semi-final appearance is now within Real Madrid’s sights, and they have struck at least two goals in each of their last three Champions League wins on home soil, but Chelsea did manage to respond with a goal-laden showing of their own on the South Coast.
The defence of their crown is seemingly in tatters after such a catastrophic first-leg loss, but Kai Havertz’s header has at least given Chelsea a slight glimmer of hope, with the German coming up clutch in the big games for the Blues once again.
Tuchel could hardly have asked for a better warm-up for the trip to the Bernabeu than the thrashing of Southampton over the weekend, where they will have to pull off a feat that no English team has ever done before if they are to remain alive in the competition – win at the ground by at least two goals.
In spite of their recent collapses at Stamford Bridge, the demolition job at St Mary’s represented Chelsea’s seventh win away from home in all competitions, and they have only failed to score in one of their last 15 Champions League games in which they were billed as the away team.
Read: Asamoah Gyan says he planned hitting Suarez during a Premier League match
Victory over the Blues at Stamford Bridge saw Real Madrid end a five-match winless hoodoo against the London club in European competition, and the pressure is now on Ancelotti’s men to avoid suffering what they inflicted on PSG only a few weeks ago.
Real Madrid Champions League form
WWWLWW
Real Madrid form (all competitions)
WWLWWW
Chelsea Champions League form
WWDWWL
Chelsea form (all competitions)
WWWLLW
Real Madrid centre-back Eder Militao was fine to play the full 90 at the weekend despite coming off at Stamford Bridge, but the Brazilian will be watching from the naughty step this week as he serves a suspension for an accumulation of yellow cards.
Former Chelsea man Eden Hazard remains in the treatment room alongside Isco, but backup striker Luka Jovic has shaken off an ankle injury and centre-back Jesus Vallejo is absent after contracting COVID-19.
Ferland Mendy was rested at the weekend and should be fine to take Marcelo’s place at left-back, while Nacho Fernandez should deputise for the suspended Militao, and Toni Kroos and Luka Modric are both refreshed after watching the win against Getafe from the substitutes’ bench.
Chelsea have a similar number of fitness concerns to deal with ahead of the second leg, with long-term absentee Ben Chilwell definitely out alongside Callum Hudson-Odoi, who has suffered a setback in his recovery from an Achilles issue.
Romelu Lukaku also missed the win at Southampton with Achilles pain and will sit out the Bernabeu trip, but Cesar Azpilicueta has tested negative for COVID-19 and is set to make the journey. However, Ross Barkley is now sick himself and is absent.
Real Madrid possible starting lineup:
Courtois; Carvajal, Nacho, Alaba, Mendy, Kroos, Casemiro, Modric, Asensio, Benzema, Vinicius Jr
Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Mendy, Christensen, Silva, Rudiger, James, Kovacic, Kante, Alonso, Ziyech, Mount, Havertz
Prediction
Real Madrid 1-2 Chelsea
