When is it? How can you watch it? What are the possible line-ups? Preview? All you need to know about the UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg between Real Madrid and Chelsea.
Real Madrid and Chelsea meet in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg on Wednesday 12 April.
Real Madrid vs Chelsea at a glance
When: Wednesday 12 April (21:00 CET kick-off)
Where: Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid
What: UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg
How to follow: Build-up and live coverage can be found here
Winners face Bayern or Man City in the semi-finals, playing the home leg first
Where to watch Real Madrid vs Chelsea on TV
Fans can find their local UEFA Champions League broadcast partner(s) here.
2022 highlights: Real Madrid 2-3 Chelsea
What do you need to know?
These two teams also met at the same stage last season, Karim Benzema scoring four goals across the tie in a 5-4 aggregate triumph for the eventual champions. That was a 14th title for Madrid and a record fourth for Carlo Ancelotti, who is coming up against one of his four former clubs who have made it through to the last eight.
With Barcelona well clear in the Spanish top flight, this competition once again looks set to be the apple of Madrid’s eye, while Chelsea must regroup quickly following the dismissal of Graham Potter and the appointment of Frank Lampard as interim head coach.
Possible line-ups
Real Madrid: Courtois; Carvajal, Éder Militão, Rüdiger, Camavinga; Modrić, Tchouameni, Kroos; Valverde, Benzema, Vinícius Júnior
Misses next match if booked: None
Chelsea: Kepa; James, Fofana, Koulibaly, Chilwell; Kanté, Kovaćič, Enzo Fernández; Sterling, Havertz, João Félix
Misses next match if booked: Kepa, Thiago Silva, Fernández, Gallagher, James, Koulibaly, Mudryk
Form guide
Real Madrid
Form (all competitions, most recent first): LWWLWW
Where they stand: 2nd in Liga, Copa del Rey final
Chelsea
Form (all competitions, most recent first): LDLDWW
Where they stand: 11th in Premier League
Who will win?
Real Madrid
Chelsea
Draw
Expert predictions
Graham Hunter, Real Madrid reporter
When this season began, the dominant phrase for Madrid was “Win all six trophies.” Chelsea, in their pre-match preparations, would do well to acknowledge that Carlo Ancelotti’s squad have already won the UEFA Super Cup, the FIFA Club World Cup and last week qualified for Spain’s Copa del Rey final.
Retaining their Liga title will be tough and they surrendered the Spanish Super Cup to Barcelona, but their defence of the Champions League trophy – a trophy they consider ‘theirs’ – is guaranteed to be more ferocious than ever.
Joseph Terry, Chelsea reporter
For the third time this season, it’s all change in the Chelsea dugout, with Frank Lampard returning in an interim capacity after Graham Potter’s departure. Having won it as a player, Lampard has the utmost respect for the Champions League and may feel like he has unfinished business in the competition, as he guided the Blues unbeaten through the 2020/21 group stage before losing his job.
The Englishman will be fully aware of the scale of the task against Real Madrid, so will likely lean on familiar faces and experience in his line-up.
What the coaches say
Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid coach: “The team is in good shape, motivated and excited. We are looking forward to another magical night at the Bernabéu.”
Frank Lampard, Chelsea caretaker manager: “For our players, I don’t think this is something completely new to them. But we have to play the occasion, because levels go up at this stage in the competition. We have to believe we can perform under that pressure.”
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