Champions League holders Chelsea undergoes a stern test against buoyant Real Madrid at home in the first leg of the quarterfinals. This is a rematch of the semifinal of last season played between the sides in the competition.
Both sides eliminated a French team to reach this stage. Chelsea did their business against Lille whereas the La Liga leaders came from behind to defeat star-studded PSG through a second-half hat trick from Karim Benzema.
CHL vs RMA Champions League 2021-22 leg 1 Match Details :
Date: Wednesday 6 April/ Thursday 7 April
Time: 20:00 (BST)/ 00:30 (IST)
Venue: Stamford Bridge, London
CHL vs RMA Champions League 2021-22 leg 1 Match Preview
Thomas Tuchel's men were decimated 4-1 by Brentford in a shock loss to Brentford in the Premier League at the very stadium they are welcoming Real Madrid. Their six games unbeaten run in all competition came to an end too. The manager called the result a blip and nothing else but time will tell whether the off-field problems are slowly making their way into the dressing room. The defence that got them to the Champions League title last year made glaring and uncharacteristic errors. Tuchel is facing a real challenge to keep the same levels at the club masked by the ownership disarray with the fans. The Blues wants to get the defeat off their books quickly but this Real Madrid team are not at all similar to the one they faced in 2021. Chelsea are fortunate to have their fans for the game and Tuchel asks them to create a better atmosphere which is largely and understandably missing for the last few games. The support can pay for the home advantage for the team. It is up to the players and the staff to maintain professionalism and play the game like any other pivotal fixture.
Los Blancos had a comeback to remember in the round of 16 stages. Losing 2-0 on aggregate with an hour remaining, Benzema netted three times within 18 minutes to book his team's place in the last eight. They did receive a thrashing by rivals Barcelona in the Classico but with a 2-1 win against Celta Vigo on Sunday are just one step away from clinching the La Liga title with eight games left to play in a remarkable campaign. Real's focus is solely now to try and win this competition where they are the undisputed kings. Semifinalist last year, this fixture also provides them with a chance to seek revenge against an unstable Chelsea team for matters on and off the field. Carlo Ancelloti's men will feel this couldn't be a better time to face the Blues taking into account their 15 victories in away games in all competitions. There is no away goal to take to the second leg this season although it is unlikely to cause any change to the guest's approach to the fixture. It is safe to say Real Madrid will play to their strengths and won't try to be too defensive like they did against PSG in the first leg of the last round.
Recent Form (all competitions)
Chelsea: LWWWW
Real Madrid: WLWWW
CHL vs RMA Champions League 2021-22 leg 1 Team News
Chelsea are still without Hudson Odoi as he nurses the back problem that has kept him out since early March. Ben Chilwell is out for the season after suffering a cruciate ligament injury last year.
Real Madrid have no fresh injury or concerns to deal with from their weekend win over Celta Vigo. Eden Hazard and Miguel Gutierrez have been ruled out of the season due to their injuries. Isco (back) and Luka Jovic (ankle) are not part of the traveling squad to Stamford Bridge. Carlo Ancelloti is expected to be back on the touchline after contracting Covid last week.
CHL vs RMA Champions League 2021-22 leg 1 Expected Lineups :
Chelsea: Edouard Mendy; Cesar Azpilicueta, Thiago Silva, Antonio Rudiger, Reece James, N'Golo Kante, Jorginho, Marcos Alonso, Hakim Ziyech, Kai Havertz, Christian Pulisic
Real Madrid: Thibaut Courtois; Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, David Alaba, Ferland Mendy, Toni Kroos , Casemiro, Luka Modric, Fede Valverde, Karim Benzema, Vinicius Junior
CHL vs RMA Head to Head :
The Blues registered a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge over Real Madrid to progress to the final after a 1-1 draw in the first leg. Timo Werner and Mason Mount's goals delivered the win. This tie was the first ever played in the competition between the teams. They now meet for consecutive seasons.
CHL vs RMA Champions League 2021-22 leg 1 Dream11 Team Prediction
GK: Courtois (9)
DEF: Azpilicueta (9), Alaba (9), Rudiger (9)
MID: Ziyech (9), Kante (8.5), Jorginho (9.5), Kroos (9.5), Modric (9)
FW: Havertz (8.5), Benzema (10.5)
