CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Chelsea vs. Real Madrid - Team News, Available Players, Missing Players, Lineups & Score Predictions
On Tuesday night, Chelsea will face Real Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final, hoping to make an improbable comeback after losing 2-0 in the first leg. The task is challenging, and Frank Lampard's return to Stamford Bridge has done little to boost the Blues' morale.
Chelsea was forced to play the final half-hour of the first leg with ten men after Ben Chilwell was shown a straight red card for a last-man foul on Rodrygo. As a result, the left-back will miss the second leg, and Marc Cucurella is expected to take his place. Kalidou Koulibaly, who picked up a hamstring problem in the first leg, will also miss out, along with Armando Broja, who is out with a knee injury.
However, Kai Havertz, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, and Carney Chukwuemeka, who all had knocks, trained ahead of the game and will be assessed.
Thiago Silva and N'Golo Kante were left out of the squad against Brighton in preparation for the second leg, while Reece James, Joao Felix, and Mateo Kovacic are likely to be recalled. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Benoit Badiashile, David Datro Fofana, and Noni Madueke are ineligible for the game.
Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti had to do without a few key players due to minor injuries over the weekend, with Vinicius Junior, Toni Kroos, and Ferland Mendy all missing out. However, Kroos and Vinicius are expected to be fit for the second leg, while Mendy is still unavailable.
Both teams are likely to field strong lineups, with Chelsea looking to attack from the start to overturn the deficit. However, Real Madrid's defense has been rock-solid in recent games, conceding only two goals in their last six matches in all competitions.
It will be interesting to see how Chelsea approaches the game, knowing they need to score at least three goals to have any chance of progressing to the semi-finals.
In conclusion, it's hard to predict an upset from Chelsea against the reigning European champions, given the 2-0 lead Real Madrid holds. Therefore, a 2-1 win for Real Madrid seems likely, sealing a 4-1 aggregate victory and booking their spot in the semi-finals. Nonetheless, football is unpredictable, and anything can happen on the night.
Chelsea possible starting lineup:?Kepa; James, Fofana, Silva, Cucurella; E. Fernandez, Kante, Kovacic; Mudryk, Havertz, Felix
Real Madrid possible starting lineup:?Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Alaba, Camavinga; Modric, Valverde, Kroos; Rodrygo, Benzema, Vinicius Jr
Predictions : Chelsea 1-2 Real Madrid (Real Madrid win 4-1 on aggregate)
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