The Blues are attempting to reverse a negative outcome of being down 2-0 after the first leg of the match played at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea is facing a challenging task to make it to the semifinals of the Champions League. They are currently in a bad form and are dealing with various off-field issues. Furthermore, they need to overcome a two-goal deficit against Real Madrid, who are the reigning champions. Based on the first leg of the match last week, it seems unlikely that Chelsea will be able to succeed. They appeared to be a midtable Premier League team that was completely outmatched by a dominant European team. Frank Lampard’s team has a lot of work to do if they are to progress in the competition.
Despite the Blues’ current struggle, they hold onto hope knowing that Champions League games involving Real Madrid can quickly change. Although the 14-time champions often have the upper hand, it’s possible that another team will follow in the footsteps of the Blues and clinch a victory that seems unlikely. In addition to our storylines and viewing options for the upcoming match, we also invite you to subscribe to our newsletter that covers the beautiful game in all its splendor, including updates on the sport’s most significant stories.
Starting XIs
Real Madrid: Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Alaba, Camavinga; Kroos, Modric, Valveder; Rodyrgo, Benzema, Vinicius Jr.
Chelsea: Kepa; Cucurella, Chalobah, Silva, Fofana, James; Enzo, Kante, Kovacic, Gallagher; Havertz.
Last time out
The initial match of the competition seemed like a match between two different levels of teams, as the difference between them was evident. Madrid did not perform exceptionally well, and Chelsea made no major mistakes, except for Ben Chilwell’s expulsion in the second half. Frank Lampard might have been content with a few things he accomplished in the second match of his second stint as coach. Enzo Fernandez intelligently occupied the empty space between the Madrid lines, while N’Golo Kante was a powerhouse right from the start.
Joao Felix and Raheem Sterling were not successful in their early attempts, but Karim Benzema managed to score after bundling home the rebound from Vinicius Junior’s shot in the 21st minute. Chelsea’s morale was affected by this goal and they struggled to keep up with Real Madrid, especially after Chilwell was sent off for pushing Rodrygo to the ground just before the hour mark. Despite a well-worked corner, Marco Asensio’s shot from outside the box added to Real Madrid’s lead. Chelsea were fortunate to only have conceded two goals after a tough game.
Storylines
Chelsea:As per the usual occurrence, Chelsea’s on-field concerns have been overlooked by the incidents off the pitch, particularly in the dressing room. Following reports on Monday that Todd Boehly, Behdad Eghbali, and Hansjorg Wyss had visited the dressing room after the team’s terrible 2-1 defeat to Brighton, which Boehly referred to as embarrassing, goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga disclosed that it was a routine practice for the owners to visit the inner sanctum following matches. Moreover, Lampard perceived it as a positive development.
The temporary manager of Chelsea stated that there were some criticisms towards their previous owner, Roman Abramovich, for not being present, but that was not always the case. He believes that when an owner is passionate about their team and wants to contribute, they have the right to do so. He recalls as a player the significant moments when owners visited the dressing room, an occurrence that happened for the first time at Chelsea. He expressed his happiness about being able to interact with them through high-fives, listening, and feeling their presence. He sees this as a positive aspect of the club’s identity and a step towards achieving their goals.
However, there are likely to be many fans who will doubt whether this situation is yet another instance of the owner causing shame to their team. The supporters may have winced at the forecast of a 3-0 victory in Madrid, which turned out to be completely off the mark, and there may already be some questioning why a massive £600 million spending spree has left Chelsea so unprepared to compete in the Champions League. On Saturday, spectators positioned above the directors’ box at Stamford Bridge expressed their anger towards Boehly. It is challenging to dispel the feeling that this resentment will not subside easily.
Real Madrid:It is difficult to find such an exciting atmosphere in Madrid, as the attention has shifted towards the cups with La Liga Barcelona taking the lead. Ancelotti had the opportunity to give Vinicius Junior, Luka Modric, and Toni Kroos a break during Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Cadiz. In their absence, Marco Asensio shone with his second goal of the week.
Ancelotti, who has supported Asensio throughout his time at Madrid, acknowledges that despite playing less, Asensio always performs well. He is an influential player, able to change the outcome of a match with his goals and assists. However, this may not guarantee him a starting position on Tuesday, but if necessary, he can be relied upon to make a significant impact.
Player to watch
Chelsea, Enzo Fernandez: Chelsea’s chances of beating Madrid are slim, unless they can generate numerous scoring opportunities. This is particularly challenging given that their forwards are out of form. To compensate for this, they must replicate Fernandez’s incisive passing during the early stages of the game at Santiago Bernabeu.
During his initial stage, Fernandez demonstrated his remarkable skills by utilizing Felix and Reece James’ abilities to make penetrating passes into the right areas, causing discomfort for the substitute full back, Edouard Camavinga. As he dropped back deeper, he was able to avoid the pressure from Madrid’s dominant central midfielders and Karim Benzema. However, the opposition eventually caught onto his strategy and Luka Modric was assigned to mark Fernandez more closely. Without his quick and effective passes, Chelsea would struggle to create scoring opportunities.
Real Madrid, Vinicius Junior:Vinicius is bound to be a serious contender for football’s most prestigious individual awards. If he maintains his current performance level in the Champions League knockout stages, he may even receive the recognition before the season ends. Despite facing two of Europe’s most promising young defenders, Reece James and Wesley Fofana, and with N’Golo Kante covering Real Madrid’s left flank, Vinicius confidently scored at will. He had 19 touches, which was almost twice as many as the entire Chelsea team. The opposition had a hard time dispossessing him, and Vinicius could have easily added many more touches if he wanted.
It’s quite surprising to hear Guti, the Real Madrid legend, assert that Vinicius is presently superior to Kylian Mbappe. This statement raises some queries about where Mbappe would fit in the team if he were to eventually transfer from Paris Saint-Germain to Santiago Bernabeu. At this moment, Vinicius seems to be taking over the team, and it’s reasonable for him to do so.
Score prediction
Real Madrid has proven to be skilled at both making comebacks and finishing off matches when they are in control. Their upcoming match against Chelsea is expected to resemble their victory over Liverpool in the previous round, which involved a calculated and methodical approach resulting in a comfortable win. As for the outcome, the prediction is that Real Madrid will come out with a 1-0 victory over Chelsea.
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