Three things Chelsea must do to in order to beat Real Madrid

3. Contain Karim Benzema

You had to know this was coming, right? Benzema terrorized a number of the Blues’ defenders in the first leg en route to a hat-trick. His legendary performance will give the Chelsea back line nightmares for years to come. This is especially true for Andreas Christensen, who will have to square off against Benzema numerous times per season if his rumored Barcelona move is completed in the coming months. The French talisman showed the world that his Ballon d’Or campaign is fully on. He also proved that nobody, not even one of the best defenses on the continent, can stop him from scoring.

While the Blues may not be able to completely silence the striker, they need to do their best to contain him throughout the match. The best way to do this is by isolating him up top, man marking him when he drops into midfield and staying disciplined. Benzema has 50 total goals plus assists this year in just 37 games. He has built a great relationship with those around him—primarily Vinicius Jr.—so putting a barrier between the two is a great place to start. Benzema found it way too easy to run in behind the Chelsea defense in the first leg, this is why Cesar Azpilicueta’s status is huge for the Blues. He was recently diagnosed with COVID-19, but a string of negative tests allowed him to travel to Spain.

If he’s fit, his inclusion at the right centerback position alongside Thiago Silva and Antonio Rudiger will be a great first way to ensuring there is discipline along the back. Azpilicueta did an excellent job of keeping Benzema and Vinicius Jr. quiet in the second half of the first leg, in addition to the shifts he put in last year on the right. Tuchel needs to field his most experienced back three on Tuesday. Further, he needs to give them cover from the middle of the park, as well. N’Golo Kante could come back into the team to occupy a deep-lying role for this exact reason.

Tuchel must find a way to render Benzema useless—at useless as possible, that is—if his side wants to get back into the tie. Chelsea defeated Real Madrid 2-0 last year, which will give the side confidence on the back of a 6-0 win at St. Mary’s last weekend. However, the Bernabeu is a whole different beast. It will take a Herculean effort from the visitors to advance into the Champions League semifinals for a second consecutive season.

What else do you think the Blues need to do in order to pull off a miracle? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or on Twitter!