Three things to look for in Chelsea at Real Madrid: Miracle in the cards?

3. Will Timo Werner have an important part to play?

Whereas Christensen didn’t do enough at St. Mary’s Stadium to earn his spot back in the starting XI, there is one player who very well may have. That individual is Timo Werner. The 90 minutes played on England’s south coast last weekend were a rollercoaster ride of emotions, especially for the struggling German forward. He managed to hit the frame of the goal three times—from left to right in perfect order, it was actually quite impressive—and was denied at close range by Fraser Forster early on. It looked to be another unlucky day at the office for the 26-year-old.

Fast forward to the full-time whistle and Werner was able to walk off the pitch with his head held high. He scored a brace, pulling him within one goal of double digits this season, finding the back of the net for the first time in over a month. The Werner that fans were treated to on Saturday looked more confident than the player that’s put on the No. 11 shirt at Chelsea for the better part of the last two years. It was a performance that turned back time to his days at RB Leipzig where he was being courted by other massive European clubs like Bayern Munich and Liverpool.

Tuchel confirmed in his press conference ahead of the second leg that club record transfer Romelu Lukaku is unavailable against Real Madrid as he nurses an injury. This opens the door for Werner to start consecutive matches and prove his worth one last time before the summer transfer window opens up soon. If this is the case, one can expect to see the same front three that Tuchel named at Southampton. This 3-4-1-2 saw Mason Mount tuck in behind a striking partnership of Kai Havertz and Werner. This shape looked a lot more fluid than any other in recent matches, as evidenced by five of the team’s six goals being scored by the trio. Mount also assisted the opener to Alonso, so the front three actually played a part in each of the team’s six goals.

After hearing that and knowing Lukaku will miss the contest, Tuchel would look rather foolish if he changed things up for this match. Chelsea needs to go all out and score at least two goals to send the tie to extra time, the combination of Havertz, Mount and Werner gives the Blues the best chance to do just that on Tuesday evening in Spain.

What are some of the things you’ll be looking for when the Blues travel to the Spanish capital? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or on Twitter!