Chelsea will be looking to gain revenge on Real Madrid when the two sides meet for the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final clash at the Bernabeu on Wednesday.
Real Madrid claimed a dramatic 5-4 aggregate win over Chelsea in last season’s quarter-finals, a year after the Blues beat Los Blancos in the semi-finals.
🧠🔵 ¡Con la mente puesta en el @ChelseaFC!#UCL pic.twitter.com/Iwq7BpWTRa— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) April 9, 2023
🧠🔵 ¡Con la mente puesta en el @ChelseaFC!#UCL pic.twitter.com/Iwq7BpWTRa
Meeting for a third successive season in the Champions League knockouts, Real Madrid and Chelsea are destined to dish up another intriguing tie.
Real Madrid kicked off their Champions League campaign by losing just one of their six group games, taking 13 points from a possible 18 to finish atop Group F.
Los Blancos then made light work of Liverpool in the round of 16, thrashing the Reds 5-2 at Anfield before winning 1-0 on home soil to seal the deal.
However, Carlo Ancelotti’s men suffered a disappointing 3-2 defeat at Villarreal last time out, meaning they have lost two of their previous three La Liga games.
With four wins, two draws and three losses coming in their last nine matches across all competitions, it’s fair to say that Real Madrid head into the quarter-finals in iffy form.
Following the sacking of Graham Potter, Chelsea began life under caretaker manager Frank Lampard with a 1-0 defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The Blues have now failed to win any of their last four games in all competitions, with just three wins coming in their previous 13 encounters.
Chelsea have enjoyed plenty of success in the UCL this term, however, losing just one of their six group games before coming from behind to dispatch Borussia Dortmund in the last 16.
That said, it will be difficult for Frank Lampard and his players to overcome Real Madrid, who have won five of the last nine Champions League titles.
Head-to-head: Across all competitions, Chelsea have managed to two just one of their seven meetings with Real Madrid over the years.
It is also worth noting that six of the seven meetings have produced over 1.5 goals, while the previous two meetings dished up over 3.5 goals.
Team news: Injured left-back Ferland Mendy remains sidelined for Real Madrid. On a brighter note, Karim Benzema has scored six goals across his last three appearances.
As for Chelsea, they are currently without the injured quartet of Thiago Silva, Mason Mount, Cesar Azpilicueta and Armando Broja.
Given Real Madrid’s record against Chelsea in the Champions League, Ancelotti’s men are expected to not a first-leg advantage on Wednesday.
Forebet predicts that both teams will score at the Bernabeu. However, Real Madrid should have more than enough firepower to outscore Chelsea.