Chelsea have it all to do as they host Real Madrid in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League quarterfinal at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.
Frank Lampard’s Chelsea lost the first leg 2-0 last week at the Santiago Bernabeu, as Ben Chilwell was sent off in the second half and Real’s quality in the final third was too much for the Blues to handle. Lampard has lost all three of the games he has taken charge of since returning to Chelsea as caretaker boss and there is little optimism they can beat the reigning champs by more than two goals unless they somehow go through via extra time and penalty kicks.
Kepa Arrizabalaga and Frank Lampard both confirmed reports that Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly came into the dressing room following their 2-1 home defeat to Brighton at the weekend as it was reported he was far from pleased with the display and called it ’embarrassing’ and issued a rallying cry.
Real won 2-0 at Cadiz at the weekend but their La Liga title hopes are pretty much over as all of Carlo Ancelotti’s focus is on defending their Champions League trophy. They weren’t great in the first leg and former Chelsea stars Thibaut Courtois and Antonio Rudiger came up big defensively to keep the Blues at bay. All eyes are on Luka Modric, Karim Benzema and Vinicius Jr as they have the class and quality to pick holes in this shaky Chelsea side.
Remember: the winner of this quarterfinal plays against the winner of Manchester City vs Bayern Munich in the semis.
How to watch Chelsea vs Real Madrid live, stream link, updates and start time
Kick off: 3pm ET, Tuesday (April 18)
Updates: Via scoreboard on NBCSports.com
How to watch: TUDN, Paramount+
Key storylines & in-form players to watch
Look, Chelsea’s entire season hinges on this game. After being battered at home by Brighton on Saturday, Frank Lampard has to somehow make his team believe they can get past mighty Real Madrid. If they score early then Stamford Bridge will be rocking and anything is possible as there is real quality in this Chelsea side. But the main problem is the belief. Chelsea’s superstar players are going through a real identity crisis and the only way they can salvage their season is by beating Real Madrid, then beating likely Manchester City at the semifinal stage and then winning the final to qualify for the Champions League next season. It all seems very unlikely right now.
Real have been able to rest players for La Liga games in-between these clashes against Chelsea and Ancelotti and his very experienced core of players are using all of their nous to guide themselves towards what they hope will be a record-extending 15th European Cup title. They dominated possession against Chelsea and did what they had to do in the first leg to set up what should be a comfortable second leg in west London.
Chelsea team news, injuries, lineup options
OUT: Armando Broja (knee), Carney Chukwuemeka (knock), Ben Chilwell (suspension), Kalidou Koulibaly (thigh) | DOUBT: Kai Havertz (knee), Ruben Loftus-Cheek (back)
