Chelsea – Real Madrid

Chelsea forced to take risks and provoke open football against Real Madrid

Chelsea will take on Real Madrid at home on Tuesday, 18 April, in the return leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie. The first leg ended 2-0 in favour of Madrid. The London side have been on a complete losing streak this season. Graeme Potter's dismissal didn't help either. There have been no victories since his departure. Frank Lampard's appointment marked three more defeats. Chelsea managed to lose in the APL to Wolverhampton and Brighton. The team allowed their opponents 26 shots on goal in the last match. This is the anti-record for an appearance in the league in the 21st century. Chelsea sit eleventh in the English league. Lampard has already tried several different schemes. There have been no results. Chelsea were objectively weaker than all their opponents. A new problem was the injury to Kalidou Koulibaly. The defender has been a staple in recent coaches' schemes. The Senegalese has only just regained his fighting form. It is highly likely that the Londoners will take a risk against Real Madrid. Lampard's 4-3-3 formation is expected. Badiachilé and Fofana will be in the centre of defence. In attack, the main hope is the individual skill of Joao Felix. The game against Brighton did not look exemplary as the coach applied a serious rotation. Mudric and Pulisic were in the starting line-up. Real also has no motivation in the Spanish championship. The club will no longer catch up with Barcelona. Madrid are playing at their own pace. In the last match, it had no effect on the result. Carlo Ancelotti has given key players a rest. Modric and Kroos didn't play. Benzema, on the other hand, played a full match. The Frenchman finally picked up his ideal form from last season. Real Madrid took some thirty shots at the Cadiz goal. Moments were created for two matches in advance. Karim didn't score, but that's simply a matter of lack of luck in a particular encounter. Importantly, Carlo Ancelotti has no problems with injured players at the moment. The only exception is Ferlando Mendy. Kamawinga has taken over on the left flank of defence in his absence. The Frenchman has successfully adapted to his new position. In the last five meetings, Real have scored at least two goals in each match. "The Sistema Dortmund side will be able to use their trademark counterattacking moves against Chelsea. There is a glimpse of open football in England. Chelsea allow their opponents a great deal. At home, the club will not sit back, because the fans won't understand it. The 0-2 score from the first encounter leaves some hope. Chelsea have a definite trend for the total less, but it is unlikely that the series will continue, as the tournament strategy does not oblige to it.