Chelsea vs Real Madrid Preview 18/04/2023

Chelsea vs Real Madrid – 18/04/2023

8654

Real Madrid carry a 2-0 advantage into the second leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final showdown with Chelsea.

The two sides will renew acquaintances at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, following last week’s Bernabeu triumph for Los Blancos.

Can Chelsea turn the tie around on home soil? Or will Real Madrid march into yet another UCL semi-final? It’s time to take a closer look at the teams.

Let’s start with the hosts, Chelsea, who were outplayed in Spain last week, registering just three shots on target while seeing 43% possession.

The Blues followed up that defeat with a 2-1 loss against Brighton on Saturday, allowing the Seagulls to rack up a whopping 26 attempts at the Bridge.

Chelsea have now failed to win any of their last six games across all competitions, recording two draws and three losses in the process.

Although Chelsea have avoided defeat in eight of their previous nine Champions League home games, Frank Lampard’s men will struggle to contain Real Madrid.

Indeed, Los Blancos have won each of their last four UCL matches, with a solitary defeat coming in their previous 11 European outings.

Goals from Karim Benzema and Marco Asensio sealed the deal in the first leg, while Ben Chilwell was sent off midway through the second half.

Carlo Ancelotti’s men claimed a 2-0 victory over Cadiz last time out, meaning they have won six of their last eight matches in all competitions.

Given Barcelona’s 11-point lead at the summit of the La Liga table, Real Madrid will be desperate to make amends in the Champions League this term.

Head-to-head: Chelsea and Real Madrid have met five times in the Champions League since 2021, with both teams winning on two occasions.

Los Blancos have won two of the previous three meetings, however, winning 3-1 at Stamford Bridge during last season’s competition.

Team news: Chelsea left-back Ben Chilwell is suspended, while Kalidou Koulibaly is injured. There are also question marks over the fitness of Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Kai Havertz.

As for Real Madrid, they look set to be without Ferland Mendy on Tuesday as he continues to recover from a muscle injury.

Given that Chelsea head into the second leg on a three-game losing run, Real Madrid are expected to heap more misery on the Blues.

Forebet predicts that Real Madrid will secure a clean-sheet victory at Stamford Bridge, reaching the UCL semi-finals for a third successive season.