Real Madrid-Chelsea is a Champions League quarter-final first leg match to be played on Wednesday at 9pm: TV, predictions.
Back to the quarter-finals, one year later. But this time there seems to be no history between Real Madrid and Chelsea, by far the least balanced pairing to emerge from the draw at Nyon. They are, in fact, two teams going through diametrically opposite moments. But if Carlo Ancelotti’s men have not changed their ambitions one iota, despite the fact that La Liga has now gone the way of Barcelona, the situation is different for the Blues, whose crisis seems to have no end.
Yes, because having reached the quarter-finals again in the Champions League risks being, in the end, the only satisfaction of a disastrous season on almost all fronts. Chelsea find themselves in 11th place in the league. Cut off not only from the top four but also from the positions that guarantee qualification for a European competition. After last Saturday’s defeat against Wolverhampton (1-0) the Londoners plummeted to -7 from seventh-placed Brighton, who have also played two games less. Not a happy debut for Frank Lampard, who returned a few days ago following the dismissal of Graham Potter – sacked after just six months – to lead the team until the end of the season, pending the appointment of a more experienced coach in the summer. In 2023, Chelsea won only four matches, conceding eight defeats between competitions. The only burst of pride the Blues had was in the cup, coming back against Borussia Dortmund in the round of 16 after losing the first leg in Germany. The Champions League, in short, as the last chance to avoid a momentous flop, also considering how much money has been spent by the new ownership to make the squad even more competitive.
So many emotions last year
The cup with the big ears – like every year, after all – is the big target for the Blancos, who have a special feeling with this competition. Having consolidated second place in La Liga and abandoned any hope of catching Barcelona, who are +13 up, Carlo Ancelotti intends to go all-in on the Champions League.
James
That, for Real, would be the second consecutive success after last year’s, with the Italian coach bringing the ‘fourteenth’, ending a four-year wait. The music of the most important continental event evidently has a particular effect on Benzema and his teammates, who tend to make very few mistakes when the level rises. They proved this recently in the Copa del Rey with Barcelona, overwhelmed 4-0 at home in the return semi-final. A similar performance to the one against Liverpool in the round of 16 of the Champions League: Reds humiliated at Anfield Road as few times in their history (2-5), despite having gone ahead by two goals in the first minutes of the game. In the quarters, for Real Madrid, there is another English side. Who, if you like, are even worse off than Jurgen Klopp’s men. Ancelotti, however, will have to be good at keeping his concentration high. Otherwise, the risk is to end up like last Saturday, with Villarreal surprisingly going 3-2 up at the Bernabeu against an experimental Real with their heads already set on the cup clash with Chelsea.
There are four previous meetings between the two teams, who also faced each other in the defunct Cup Winners’ Cup and European Super Cup. Chelsea is surprisingly ahead 4-1. Last year’s was a scintillating double-header. Real came out on top 3-1 at Stamford Bridge, but took a huge risk in the return leg, losing by the same score and only coming out on top in extra time.
Real Madrid-Chelsea: latest line-up news
Real Madrid in emergency on the defensive left: Mendy is unavailable and Alaba is not at his best. Nacho could take their place, but the Merengues coach will also consider Camavinga for that role, already played several times this season by the talented young Frenchman. In the middle of the pitch, with Modric and Kroos, will act Tchouaméni, while the attacking trident will be composed of Valverde, Benzema and Vinicius. No problems for the Uruguayan, who reportedly had a scuffle with Baena after the match against Villarreal.
On the other hand, there are several unavailable players for Lampard, who has to do without Mount, Thiago Silva and Azpilicueta, as well as those off the list such as Madueke, Aubameyang and Badiashile. The coach could reintroduce the 4-3-3 seen with Wolverhampton, with Havertz in the role of false nueve, surrounded by Sterling and Joao Felix. Fofana and Koulibaly will be the two central defenders, while in midfield it will be the turn of Kovacic, Enzo Fernandez and the re-established Kanté.
The Prediction
Nights in the Champions League, Real Madrid are exhilarated: they hardly miss these kinds of games. And against a Chelsea struggling with innumerable problems, especially offensively, they should have a quiet night, in which they will probably manage to mortgage their qualification ahead of the return leg. Lampard’s team, for its part, will try to limit the damage by relying on defensive organisation and the qualities of individuals. Real favourites, then, in a low-scoring game. Benzema is one of the potential goalscorers.
Real Madrid-Chelsea’s likely line-up
- REAL MADRID (4-3-3): Courtois; Carvajal, Éder Militão, Rüdiger, Camavinga; Modric, Tchouaméni, Kroos; Valverde, Benzema, Vinícius Jr.
- CHELSEA (4-3-3): Kepa; James, Fofana, Koulibaly, Chilwell; Kanté, Kovacič, Enzo Fernández; Sterling, Havertz, João Félix.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 2-0
