Chelsea was handed one of its heaviest defeats of the season last week when Real Madrid strolled into Stamford Bridge and taught the home side a finishing lesson. Carlo Ancelotti’s men were clinical in front of goal on a night where their hosts couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn. This inefficiency in the final third, along with a host of defensive errors, contributed to Los Blancos returning home with a commanding 3-1 lead.
It was the first time Chelsea had been definitively outplayed in a European match under Thomas Tuchel, and he wasn’t afraid to voice his feelings on that after the fact. The German manager’s anger acted as the catalyst that awoke a sleeping giant from within the Blues a few days later. They responded by slotting six goals past Southampton at the weekend. Truth be told, if the visitors had wanted to score 10, there was absolutely no way Saints could’ve stopped them. This has a lot of supporters talking ahead of Tuesday’s all-important Champions League quarterfinal second leg. Chelsea waltzes into the Santiago Bernabeu—one of the world’s most challenging venues to play in—positioned at the bottom of a two-goal hole. Can the Blues pull off the unimaginable and keep their title defense alive for at least another few weeks?
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Here are three things to look for in Chelsea’s trip to Real Madrid:
1. Is a miracle in the cards?
It’s been quite a few years since the Champions League has witnessed a second leg completely flip a tie on its head. 2019 was the last time fans were treated to a proper comeback in Europe’s premier competition. Both semifinals that season featured remarkable turnarounds as Liverpool (vs. Barcelona) and Tottenham (at Ajax) stunned spectators across the globe. Chelsea hasn’t overcome a notable deficit since 2012 when Branislav Ivanovic broke Napoli hearts in extra time.
What does all of this mean in relation to Tuesday’s second leg? Fans are due.
Real Madrid is currently sitting on a two-goal lead, knowing it has the comfort of playing in front of a supportive home crowd. However, as NBA fans have learned over the last few years, a 3-1 lead is one of the most dangerous in all of sports—just ask Napoli. It’s easy for complacency to set in for the team in the lead during these scenarios. Further, the crowd at the Santiago Bernabeu isn’t going to allow Los Blancos to sit back and defend with all 11 men behind the ball like they did for a majority of the second half at Stamford Bridge. The Blues will get some good looks at goal.
In all likelihood, Real Madrid will be celebrating advancing into the UCL semifinals on Tuesday evening. That being said, crazier things have happened and one doesn’t need to go too far back to find examples of unbelievable second leg comebacks. Chelsea will need to play a perfect game in every sense of the word. The Blues will need to display the hunger that they did at Southampton. Perhaps more importantly, they’ll have to take the chances that will inevitably be given to them. If they can do these things, the unthinkable might just be in the cards on Tuesday.