Real Madrid – Chelsea

Chelsea will avoid defeat in Madrid against Real

Real Madrid take on Chelsea at home in the Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday 12 April. Carlo Ancelotti's side are the favourites not only in this pairing but are also among the contenders to win the final. Real Madrid are no longer motivated in the Spanish championship. The team have only the final of the King's Cup and the main European Cup left. Carlo Ancelotti can use players from the immediate reserves in the Spanish championship matches. The specialist has rotated the squad for the encounter with Villarreal. In doing so, many of the leaders took to the pitch. Surprisingly, Real suffered a defeat at home, conceding three goals. That said, there is no reason to panic. The coach has admitted that there is no longer enough motivation for the championship, and there will be a completely different Real in the Champions League. Madrid's opponents did, however, expose certain problems in defence. In particular, Nacho on the wing was the obvious weak link. Almost all the players have recovered from injuries and damage. The only loss is that of edge defender Mendy. Chelsea have gradually become the most crisis team of the season out of the grands. The club has already changed coaches twice. Now the management have made the mysterious decision to bring back Lampard. Chelsea are only in eleventh place in the APL. Their chances of qualifying in the European competitions are next to none. The only hope is the Champions League and an emotional boost. It hasn't happened yet. Lampard has made his second unsuccessful entry into the coaching role. The specialist started with a defeat to Wolverhampton. That's not to say the game has changed qualitatively, although the approach is completely different. Lampard immediately abandoned the five-back scheme. The club now play a standard 4-3-3 formation. There could be a certain surprise in this for Madrid, who have been preparing for a different scenario. Lampard will also be counting on other players. The specialist is clearly determined to bring more experienced performers back into the starting line-up. Chelsea still have more than thirty players on the roster for the season. There is no stability. The big positive news is Ngolo Kante's return. The Frenchman has become one of the best players on the pitch after the first few games, despite the general crisis. For instance, Kanté helped the team look decent against Liverpool. Chelsea's headache is the lack of goals. The club has not scored in three consecutive meetings. The bookmakers predictably give high odds on the visitors, but still Real are too overvalued. Madrid have a lot of gambling problems. In a cup format, surprises are possible. Lampard knows how to organise teams defensively, and Real Madrid always have problems when they need to possess the ball a lot. A defeat is unlikely.