Chelsea and Real Madrid combined XI: Blues in ascendency after first leg
Right winger: Mason Mount, Chelsea
Chelsea sent through a notification via its official app recently, inviting fans to vote for the Men and Women’s Player of the Year. While there may be some great shouts for both categories, it is expected that Mason Mount takes home the prize for Men’s POTY. It is a fitting culmination to the youngster’s two-year cycle during which he: broke into the first team, won over his critics, grew as a player and eventually became the team’s most important player. Mount was one of the best players in the first leg and will look to add to his glossary of glowing performances in the return leg.
Striker: Karim Benzema, Real Madrid
Real Madrid did not really threaten the Chelsea goal in the first leg. The only time Los Blancos looked like scoring was when Karim Benzema was on the ball in a semi-dangerous position. Sure enough, it was the Frenchman who netted the equalizer for the 13x European champions. The goal, meanwhile, was a thing of beauty. Benzema has flourished in his role as Real Madrid’s leading man in the past two years. The departure of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale in successive seasons signaled the end of the infamous “BBC,” while also pushing the major burden of scoring goals onto the forward. He has thrived since being handed the extra responsibility and is, at present, among the best strikers in the world.
Left winger: Christian Pulisic, Chelsea
He brought the ball down with a feather-like first touch, he left Courtois in his wake, and despite the presence of two defenders on the goal line, he managed to squeeze the ball in through the gap. Had there been Chelsea fans present in the stands, they surely would’ve erupted at the sight of Christian Pulisic scoring the opening goal against Real Madrid. It was a truly remarkable moment in a truly remarkable competition—albeit one which lacked the fervor of the fans at the end. Nevertheless, Pulisic proved through his goal against Los Blancos that his confidence is sky-high at the moment. The American hit his best form for Chelsea toward the end of last season. He appears on track to replicate the same this time around. There aren’t many in better form than him in either roster at the moment.
Next. Chelsea Predicted XI vs Real Madrid: Trusted 3-4-3 in high stakes game. dark
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