Real Madrid defends its European hunger at Stamford Bridge
The whites, trailing 2-0 in the first leg, want to maintain their historic idyll with the Champions League and advance to the semifinals against a depressed Chelsea
MADRID, 17 Abr. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Real Madrid visits English Chelsea this Tuesday (9:00 p.m.) in the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinals, in a duel in which the current champions must defend their two-goal advantage until the end to certify their eleventh European semifinals in the last 13 seasons against an opponent who still has not found their identity and takes refuge in this competition to come out on top with a necessary and urgent comeback.
No matter how badly the Madrid team walks in the domestic championship, they almost always manage to reach their best level of the season in the section in which everything is decided at a continental level. While last year his wide advantage over the second classified in LaLiga Santander allowed him to temporize and save efforts, this course he will also be able to do it in April, although for the completely opposite reason.
Despite cutting two points this weekend, Barça’s rental eleven make the league title almost impossible. For this reason, Real Madrid allowed themselves the luxury of dosing their efforts against Cádiz, resting untouchables like Vinicius, Kroos and Carvajal, who did not play for a minute, and Camavinga and Modric, who were substitutes.
And the performance of the team did not suffer any decline. In fact, the mix between regulars and those who aren’t so much was perfect in the solvent victory (0-2) against the Cadistas, victims of a barrage of chances from the Merengue team, who lacked a traditional ‘punch’ that he must not be absent in London to avoid frights.
Real Madrid travels to London with the ‘fang’ sharp, plethoric and in its happiest and most fluid version in attack. And it is that since he said goodbye to the League in the Clásico of the Spotify Camp Nou (2-1), he has 109 total shots in five games, almost 22 and more than four occasions of great danger in each of them, for the few more than 16 shots and two great approaches to the rival area that they enjoyed before the league match at the Barça stadium.
Now, the champion must keep in mind the scare that Chelsea gave him last year in a similar situation, but playing at the Bernabéu. For this, it will be key that he does not go out ‘asleep’ as has happened to him on other recent European nights because Chelsea will go out much more offensive and with nothing to lose.
For this defining duel, Ancelotti seems to repeat the Bernabéu eleven, although the question may be whether he will choose to give it a more defensive touch with the entry of Nacho Fernández on the left side to move Camavinga to his natural position, flanked by Kroos and Modric. This would cause Rodrygo Goes, who signed a great game at the Nuevo Mirandilla, to surely leave his place for Fede Valverde to play up front with a Vinicius with renewed energy to make the night bitter for Reece James and a Benzema who is good at it. Chelsea.
Sunk in the Premier after losing on Saturday at home against Brighton (1-2) and which causes them not to win since they sentenced Dortmund in the round of 16, Frank Lampard’s team faces one of the biggest challenges in its history in Europe on Tuesday , forced to come back from 2-0 in the first leg to hold on to this ‘hot nail’ that represents the Champions League.
The new ‘blue’ coach, who has not yet been able to find the identity of a team showered with millions and full of stars, left Havertz out of the league squad, with knee discomfort, Thiago Silva and Kanté, and other important footballers , who also point to headlines, such as Kovacic, Joao Félix or Reece James stayed on the bench.
Without Koulibaly, substituted at the Bernabéu due to a muscular problem, and with Chilwell suspended, and with the obligation to be more offensive, the former midfielder seems to opt for four backs, with Cucurella on the left side. The trinomial in the middle Kanté-Enzo-Kovacic is immovable, while Havertz, if his knee allows it, would return to an eleven with Sterling and Joao Félix.
Multimedia content (graphics):
Previous statistics Chelsea vs Real Madrid (round 1/4 final Champions League)
https://www.epdata.es/estadisticas-previa-chelsea-vs-real-ma…
CHELSEA: Kepa; James, Thiago Silva, Fofana, Cucurella; Kanté, Enzo Fernández, Kovacic; Sterling, Havertz and Joao Felix.
REAL MADRID: Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Alaba, Camavinga; Modric, Kroos, Valverde; Rodrygo, Benzema and Vinicius.
— Referee: Daniele Orsato (ITA).
–ESTADIO: Stamford Bridge.
–TIME: 9:00 p.m./Movistar Champions League.
