UEFA Champions League Quarter-Final Preview: Real Madrid Versus Chelsea

(CTN News) – It will be the third year in a row that Real Madrid faces Chelsea in the Champions League. In 2020, Chelsea edged Madrid while Madrid beat Chelsea last season; both eventually won the trophy.

Keys to victory for Real Madrid

Despite winning four games last season, Real Madrid has lost five this season, currently 13 points behind first-place Barcelona. Yet, Los Blancos always come out on top in the Champions League to prove why they are the kings of Europe.

In this season’s Champions League, Madrid has scored 21 goals, with an xG of 17.9 and 576.9 accurate passes per match. The top scorer for Real this season has been Vinicius Junior, with six goals in the Champions League and 35 goals and assists overall.

In 2023, Karim Benzema has returned to form after dipping during the World Cup break, scoring back-to-back hat tricks against Valladolid and Barcelona.  In Champions League action, he has three goals, and he will look to add another hat trick against Chelsea.

Three of Los Blancos’ last five games have resulted in wins and the team has outscored its opponents 14-5. Over the weekend, they lost to Villarreal and witnessed a Samu Chukwueze masterclass.

The key to winning this match will be respecting Chelsea, despite their poor form. The club is still big, and it would be great if Chelsea could defeat Real Madrid or even win the trophy.

In order for Benzema and Vinicius to be able to distribute the ball, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric need to control the midfield, and Eduardo Camavinga may be tried at fullback following his impressive performance against Barcelona.

Keys to victory for Chelsea

Based on the struggles Chelsea is experiencing, a Chelsea victory against Real Madrid seems unlikely.

In the Premier League, the Blues are currently ranked eleventh with 29 goals scored. For comparison, Manchester City’s Erling Haaland has scored 30 goals this season alone. In their last three matches, they haven’t scored and lost 1-0 to Wolves with a Matheus Nunes goal.

Chelsea has scored 12 goals in the Champions League this season, with an xG of 13.9. Kai Havertz has scored seven Premier League goals and two Champions League goals this season.

As a result of so many new players coming in, and so much squad depth, Chelsea seems unable to work together cohesively. The sacking of Graham Potter adds to Chelsea’s woes as Frank Lampard will manage the Blues.

Defending the net and attacking Madrid on the counter will be the keys to Chelsea’s victory. In eight Champions League games, they have three clean sheets and five goals conceded. Due to the lack of goals this season, attacking a Madrid team known for hard and fast counterattacks would be unwise.

At Anfield, Los Blancos defeated Liverpool 5-2, with Chelsea drawing 0-0 for four consecutive games against the Reds. Now that Real Madrid’s Liga title hopes are over, their focus is solely on the Champions League and Copa Del Rey.

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