Author: Soorya G
Chelsea, winners of the 2021 Champions League, will have the task of delivering what looks like a highly unlikely result in the quarter-final against record champions Real Madrid. Although the clash takes place at Stamford Bridge, giving the Blues home advantage, all recent evidence points to Real progressing to another Champions League semi-final. Chelsea are possibly in their worst season ever, despite spending more than £500 million in the last two transfer windows combined.
The Londoners have also had four managers this season, with club legend Frank Lampard being appointed on an interim basis following the dismissal of Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter at different points in the season and interim manager Bruno Saltor’s brief tenure at the helm of the first team. Under the new ownership group led by American tycoon Todd Boehly, Chelsea have seemingly thoughtlessly flaunted their transfer strategy without any real direction.
In addition, they have been extremely impatient with their head coaches, not allowing Tuchel or Potter to have a proper mandate after the takeover. Despite spending more in the league by a fair margin, Chelsea find themselves in 11th place, mathematically closer to relegation than to the Champions League places. The six-time league champions have just ten wins in the league this season, and their recent performances don’t promise anything better either.
Chelsea have managed just four wins in 20 games this year, giving them a win rate of 20%. The latest win came at the end of a run of three consecutive victories, which included a win against Borussia Dortmund in the last 16 of the Champions League. The return of Frank Lampard as manager has also raised a number of questions about the competence of the decision-makers, given the Englishman’s track record as a manager. Lampard failed in his first term as Chelsea manager and took Everton to the brink of relegation this season, before being sacked and replaced by veteran manager Sean Dyche at Goodison Park.
In this case, the Chelsea faithful felt that his appointment did not come with the right objectives in mind and reflected on the fact that the management had given up all hope for the season. However, in a competition like the Champions League, just a few minutes of good soccer can sometimes be enough to progress to the next round, a fact that Real Madrid proved on several occasions last season on their way to their 14th Champions League title.
Real Madrid have been in great form in 2023, producing important results against teams like Liverpool in the Champions League, as well as an excellent comeback win over the league leaders themselves in the Copa Del Rey. They will seize the chance to delve deeper into the coveted club competition they have won over the years, as defending the title seems more than likely. Carlo Ancelotti might put some reserves into the game, just to rest some important players for the rest of the season.
Team news
Chelsea will have no choice but to field a full-strength side as they attempt the seemingly impossible. Real Madrid will be wary of Chelsea’s talented team, but will back their ability to progress.
Expected line-up:
Chelsea: Kepa; James, Silva, Fofana, Chalobah; Kante, Fernandez, Kovacic; Mudryk, Felix, Sterling;
Real Madrid: Courtois; Nacho, Rudiger, Alaba, Vazquez; Ceballos, Tchouameni, Valverde; Asensio, Vinícius, Benzema;
Key players
Enzo Fernandez will be the most important player for his team. The World Cup-winning midfielder can orchestrate the game and is known for finding outrageous passes. Chelsea expect a good performance from him if they want to move on.
Aurelien Tchouameni will be the player to watch at Stamford Bridge. He should take a prominent role in midfield and is more than capable of producing a masterclass against the Blues.
Forecasts:
Vinicius to score.
The Brazilian is expected to start on the bench after an excellent display in the first game. But he should come on during the match, and he could score.
Kante to impress
The Frenchman has always done well against Real, and a similar performance will be needed if his side are to have any chance of qualifying.
Madrid advances comfortably
All the evidence points to the record champions hoping to reach the semi-finals.