Three things Chelsea must do to in order to beat Real Madrid
Chelsea has a mountain to climb if it wants to extend its stay in the Champions League beyond Tuesday evening. As things stand, the reigning Champions of Europe are set to bow out of the competition at the quarterfinal stage. The Santiago Bernabeu will play host to the visitors’ funeral after Real Madrid dealt what looks to be a fatal blow to the Blues last week in the English capital. Chelsea was soundly beaten, 3-1, on its home turf by the Spanish giants that it sent packing in the last four of last season’s competition. Karim Benzema was the star of the show, his second consecutive hat-trick in the Champions League being the major talking point.
Thomas Tuchel expressed his belief the tie was over immediately after the match. The German has since doubled down on his comments after his side’s abysmal showing in the first leg. It’s unfamiliar territory for the manager during his time at Stamford Bridge. Yet, after a convincing 6-0 victory over the weekend against Southampton, many believe the Blues still have a chance when they face off against Los Blancos again on Tuesday. In order to defeat Carlo Ancelotti and his Real Madrid side in the second leg, it goes without saying that the visitors will have to be perfect.
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Here are three things Chelsea has to do if the Blues want any chance at defeating Real Madrid and advancing to the Champions League semifinals this season:
1. Score early
Los Blancos were able to comfortably sit back and defend for a majority of the second half in the first leg of the tie because they sorted out their scoring early on. This wasn’t like the first leg of their Round of 16 tie against Paris Saint-Germain where they soaked up the pressure for an entire 90 minutes, hoping to do enough at home to win the tie. Real Madrid played on the front foot from the opening whistle and this hugely benefitted it in the long run. There is no pressure—aside from pleasing the restless crowd in the Spanish capital—to perform in the second leg due to the sizable advantage Los Blancos already possess. The onus is on the visitors.
This is something that Chelsea will undoubtedly need to do in the second leg if it wants any chance of slaying the dragon and producing one of the most memorable Champions League comebacks of recent memory. The Blues’ attack put on one of the most forgettable and poor performances of the season against Real Madrid in the first leg. The saving grace in this is that there is only one way to go once you hit rock bottom, up.
Kai Havertz’s lone goal provided a beacon of hope for Chelsea in this tie. It ensured there is still the slightest possibility of a comeback, whereas a 3-0 deficit would surely be insurmountable. It also rattled the Real Madrid defense, something Tuchel surely took note of during the contest. There were holes to be exploited at the back for both teams during the first meeting. The only difference in the tie was Los Blancos’ clinical finishing. It put pressure on the Blues’ back line and forced them to make mistakes, something Chelsea will have to replicate in the second leg in order to win.