Reigning champions Real Madrid host Chelsea in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final clash on Wednesday.
Both teams have endured frustrating domestic campaigns. Real Madrid have fallen well behind Barcelona in the La Liga title race, while Chelsea are catastrophically low in the Premier League, so both sides' seasons rest on this competition.
This is the third time in as many seasons that these two sides have faced off in the knockout stages of Europe's top competition. Chelsea advanced in 2021 but 2022 belonged to Real Madrid - who will have the last laugh in 2023?
Here's all you need to know about this one.
Where are Real Madrid vs Chelsea playing?
- Location: Madrid, Spain
- Stadium: Santiago Bernabeu
- Date: Wednesday 12 April
- Kick-off Time: 20:00 BST / 15:00 ET / 12:00 PT
- Referee: François Letexier (FRA)
- VAR: Tomasz Kwiatkowski (POL)
Real Madrid vs Chelsea H2H Results (Last Five Games)
- Real Madrid: 1 win
- Chelsea: 3 wins
- Draws: 1
- Last meeting: Real Madrid 2-3 Chelsea - 12 April 2022
Current Form (Last Five Games)
- Real Madrid: WLWWL
- Chelsea: DLLDL
How to watch Real Madrid vs Chelsea on TV and live stream
Country | Television Channel/Live Stream |
|---|---|
United Kingdom | BT Sport 1 / BTSport.com |
United States | Paramount+ / ViX+ |
Canada | DAZN |
Real Madrid team news
Left-back Ferland Mendy remains Real's only injury absentee but, as the team's only natural player in his position, Carlo Ancelotti has had to get a little creative with his replacements. Midfielder Eduardo Camavinga or centre-back Nacho Fernandez would be the leading contenders.
Camavinga was among the names rested during the 3-2 loss to Villarreal, with the likes of Toni Kroos and Luka Modric expected to return to the starting lineup as well.
Real Madrid predicted lineup vs Chelsea
Real Madrid predicted lineup (4-3-3): Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Alaba, Nacho; Kroos, Modric, Camavinga; Valverde, Benzema, Vinicius
Chelsea team news
N'Golo Kante was left out of the squad for the defeat to Wolves as Frank Lampard confessed the Frenchman's fitness is being managed. In other words, this fixture took priority, and Kante should start here.
Mason Mount has served a European suspension but could miss out through injury, having aggravated his abdominal issue during training before Wolves game, although he was back in training on Monday.
Thiago Silva is also back in training but may not be risked just yet, while Cesar Azpilicueta is still recovering from his nasty head injury. Benoit Badiashile, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Noni Madueke and David Datro Fofana are all out of the squad.
Chelsea predicted lineup vs Real Madrid
Chelsea predicted lineup (4-3-3): Kepa; James, Fofana, Koulibaly, Chilwell; Kovacic, Fernandez, Kante; Sterling, Havertz, Felix
Real Madrid vs Chelsea score prediction
Neither of these teams are in particularly sparkling form, but one is definitely doing better than the other. Chelsea are in absolute turmoil right now and have looked nowhere near good enough to compete with the reigning European champions.
Chelsea's best performances over the past few months have come in this competition, but the same goes for Real, who know how to take things to a different level on this stage. The Champions League version of Los Blancos is among the scariest sides on the planet.
For Chelsea, the priority must be staying alive in this tie, but that may be easier said than done.
Prediction: Real Madrid 3-0 Chelsea
