Chelsea vs Real Madrid
UEFA Champions League
Date: Wednesday, 6 April 2022
Kick-off at 20:00 UK/ 21:00 CET
Venue: Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea will play Real Madrid in the opening leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final tie this week in what will be a titanic battle.
The quarter-final matches of the UEFA Champions League begin this week.
Current holders Chelsea will face La Liga leaders Real Madrid in one of the most important matches of the round, with the first leg slated to take place at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night.
Chelsea, who won the Champions League last season under Thomas Tuchel, breezed through the group stage with no problems.
They did, however, drop a game en route to finishing second in Group H behind Juventus.
In the Round of 16, the Blues breezed through LOSC Lille, winning 4-1 on aggregate.
Chelsea, on the other hand, enters perhaps the most important game of their season after a 4-1 Premier League defeat to Brentford.
Real Madrid finished first in Group D, cruising to victory despite a stunning defeat to Sheriff Tiraspol.
Los Blancos were drawn against PSG in the Round of 16 and lost the first leg, but rallied in the second leg, spearheaded by Karim Benzema, to win 3-2 on aggregate.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side came back from a devastating defeat to Barcelona in La Liga before the international break, defeating Celta Vigo 2-1 in their most recent match.
This match is a rematch of last season’s semi-final, in which Chelsea beat Real Madrid 3-1 on aggregate to win the competition.
The Hard Tackle takes a deeper look at both teams ahead of their blockbuster matchup on Wednesday.
Chelsea vs Real Madrid Head to head :
- The latest meeting had ended in a 2-0 win for the Blues, at this venue.
- They had also registered a 0-1 win in the 1998 Super Cup.
- The only wins by Real Madrid in the 21st century had come in the International Champions Cup – which is a pre-season tournament.
- Three of the past four clashes had goals from both teams.
Chelsea vs Real Madrid Prediction :
Chelsea will be licking their wounds after their thrashing at the hands of Brentford over the weekend and will be looking to get back on track.
The Blues, on the other hand, will face a Real Madrid side eager to avenge last season’s events at Stamford Bridge.
As a result, it looks like it will be a competitive match between two elite teams with exceptional players on both sides, and it could come down to a moment of individual brilliance from someone like Karim Benzema or Mason Mount.
The Hard Tackle believes this one will be a draw.
Chelsea vs Real Madrid Team News :
Chelsea will have most, if not all, of their big-hitters available for the first leg of their quarter-final, though Ben Chilwell is out for the foreseeable future and Callum Hudson-Odoi has a back problem as well as a strained Achilles.
Christian Pulisic made a late return from international duty and did not play against Brentford, but the USA international is set to start here, putting Timo Werner’s position on the left in jeopardy.
Tuchel is expected to contemplate switching to a three-man central defense when Reece James returns to fitness, while Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic will also want to replace Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who will miss the second leg if he is booked here.
Real Madrid will be without Eden Hazard, who is recovering from a fibular plate operation, as well as backup striker Luka Jovic and Isco.
Ancelotti is otherwise well-equipped for the first leg, though Eder Militao will miss the return game if he is cautioned, and only one change might be made on the visitors’ side, with Dani Carvajal possibly replacing Lucas Vazquez at right-back.
With his hat trick against PSG, Benzema has already scored eight Champions League goals this season, and one more would set a new record for French players in a single season.
Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Mendy; Azpilicueta, Silva, Rudiger; James, Jorginho, Kovacic, Alonso; Ziyech, Havertz, Pulisic
Real Madrid possible starting lineup:
Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Alaba, Mendy; Kroos, Casemiro, Modric; Asensio, Benzema, Vinicius Junior
