The first tie of the semi-finals of the 2020/21 Champions League season kicks off this Tuesday as UCL record-winners Real Madrid meet Chelsea in the first leg of their Champions League tie.
Stadium: Alfredo di Stéfano Stadium
Key Statistics
- Real Madrid have kept four straight clean sheets heading into this tie.
- They are also unbeaten in their last 17 games in all competitions.
- But they have failed to score three of their last four games.
- Chelsea have conceded just three goals in the UCL this season.
- They are alongside Manchester City the side with the best defensive record in the UCL this season.
- Thomas Tuchel has lost just two matches as Chelsea coach, winning 62.5% of the matches he has overseen.
- Chelsea’s record against Madrid in European competitions (2 Wins, 1 draw)
- The results of English teams against Spanish teams in European competitions (6 wins, 9 draws, 12 Losses) in last 27 matches.
Real Madrid
After defeating Liverpool in the previous round, Real Madrid will be looking to appear in their first UCL final since 2019 when they won the competition in Kyiv.
Zidane’s men are favourites for this year’s trophy after overcoming a difficult start in the group stages and are entering this tie unbeaten at home in nine games in all competitions.
After holding it against Liverpool in the previous round, the hosts will fancy their chances against Chelsea, as they have a competitive win rate of 40.48% against English sides.
Zidane will be boosted by the return of former winger Eden Hazard, who returns in time to face his former employers.
But Real Madrid Sergio Ramos remains sidelined with a calf injury, while Ferland Mendy is also out due to a calf problem. Federico Valverde is in isolation due to COVID-19, while Lucas Vasquez has been ruled out for the rest of the season after picking up a knee injury.
Possible line-ups
Thibaut Courtois; Raphael Varane, Eder Militao, Nacho; Marcelo, Luka Modric, Casemiro, Toni Kroos; Vinicius Junior, Karim Benzema, Eden Hazard.
Unavailable: Mendy (calf), Ramos (calf), Valverde (illness), Vazquez (knee)
It’s a semi-final and obviously tomorrow will be a difficult game. We will have to be vigilant, defend well and try to create chances. We will have to be at our very best to hurt Chelsea.
The present is the present. Chelsea are a side who’ve done their work in the Champions League and deserve to be in the semis, just as Real Madrid do, too. It’s going to be a tough, different game, and Chelsea are side with plenty of experience at this level, too.
We’ve got a month of the season to go and we’ll fight until the end, come what may. We’ll have difficulties, of course, but so will all teams. What motivates us is to go out onto the pitch and give everything we can.”
ZInedine Zidane, Real Madrid Manager
Chelsea
Thomas Tuchel got the draw he wished for after Real Madrid ousted Liverpool to set up a date with his Chelsea side. After leading his former side PSG to the final last year, has now the opportunity to play his second final in two years if he can get a good performance in this tie.
The Chelsea manager has overseen a turnaround in his side’s fortunes and is entering this tie full of confidence and became the first manager to remain unbeaten in his first ten away games.
He has suffered just one loss in the UCL this season—an inconsequential loss to Porto in the last round—and boasts one of the best records in the competition this season.
The home team enters this tie on a run of three consecutive wins away from home and without an away loss in ten games. In that period, they kept seven clean sheets and conceded just three goals while scoring 14 times.
Mateo Kovacic is the only injury absentee for Thomas Tuchel, who has a fully fit squad to select from.
Possible line-ups
Edouard Mendy; Andreas Christensen, Thiago Silva, Antonio Rudiger; Cesar Azpilicueta, Jorginho, N’Golo Kante, Mason Mount, Ben Chilwell; Christian Pulisic, Timo Werner.
Unavailable: Kovacic (thigh)
[We must] be ourselves, that is the strategy. Rely on yourself, your strengths and do the things that make you confident. Hopefully, we don’t overthink and overdo it.We should not expect crazy things from us, but the same again on the highest level. We have had tough matches, important matches, so we feel it is a good moment to play this match. We want to play hungry.
Thomas Tuchel, Chelsea Manager
Kepa Arrizabalaga, Antonio Rudiger, Marcos Alonso, Andreas Christensen, Jorginho, Thiago Silva, N’Golo Kante, Tammy Abraham, Christian Pulisic, Timo Werner, Willy Caballero, Kurt Zouma, Edouard Mendy, Olivier Giroud, Mason Mount, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Ben Chilwell, Hakim Ziyech, Billy Gilmour, Reece James, Cesar Azpilicueta, Kai Havertz, Emerson Palmieri, Tino Anjorin
Chelsea Squad for UCL SemifinaL
Betting Odds
Real Madrid : Draw : Chelsea :: 2.37 : 3.10 : 3.30
| Real Madrid Goal | Chelsea Goal | Betting Odds |
| 1 | 1 | 6.00 |
| 1 | 0 | 6.50 |
| 0 | 0 | 7.50 |
| 0 | 1 | 8.50 |
| 2 | 1 | 9.50 |
Prediction
Real Madrid 1—1 Chelsea
