Real Madrid – Chelsea : Preview & Prediction
For the third consecutive edition of the UEFA Champions League (UCL), Real Madrid and Chelsea will face each other in the knockout phase; in the two previous ties between the two, the winner was crowned champion. Los Blancos and Blues, who both suffered narrow defeats last weekend, will give their all to lift another trophy in a campaign in which they have been disappointing in their respective domestic championships.
Despite twice taking the lead, Real Madrid lost their unbeaten home form in LaLiga 2022-23 with a 3-2 defeat to Villarreal on Saturday. Trailing the leaders (Barça) by 12 points, the 36th LaLiga title is now a pipe dream for Los Blancos, who will have to focus their efforts on defending their UCL crown and continuing to add to their unrivaled record in the top continental competition (14 titles). Having won each of their last four meetings with English clubs, including the clash against Liverpool in the UCL 2021-22 final, Carlo Ancelotti’s side are clear favorites against a Chelsea side in crisis.
The Londoners are still struggling in the Premier League and have now gone four games without a win, most recently a 1-0 defeat to Julen Lopetegui’s Wolves in Frank Lampard’s first game as interim manager. The 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund in the second leg of the UCL Round of 16 was the highlight of Graham Potter’s brief spell in charge, and the Blues will need to raise their game again to take another step towards their third UCL title.
Although they did not advance out of the tie, Chelsea beat Madrid 3-2 after extra time in the second leg of the 2021-22 UCL quarterfinals (aggregate: RM 5-4 CHE). The Blues have not lost a match on Spanish soil since March 2018 (G2, E2), a streak that includes two visits to Real Madrid (G1, E1). However, their away results in recent months have been abysmal – just one win in their last 13 official matches away from Stamford Bridge (G1, E3, P9) – and in the first leg against Dortmund they lost 1-0, although they enjoyed numerous chances.
Players to watch: Vinicius Junior has been on target between the 40th and 50th minute in Real Madrid’s last two matches. Last season, the Brazilian ace provided an assist in each of the two duels against Chelsea. Mateo Kovačić, who closed out the scoring in Chelsea’s most recent away win, also signed an assist at the Bernabeu a year ago.
Series highlight: Each of Real Madrid’s last five UCL quarterfinal matches at home have featured more than 2.5 goals (G3, P2).
Real Madrid – Chelsea : Betting Tips
Real Madrid – Win Odds: 1.70
