Chelsea predicted XI vs Real Madrid: Thiago Silva starts, Havertz dropped
Real Madrid are clear favorites in this home encounter but will still have to make sure that they do a professional job against Chelsea who are unlikely to secure a top four spot in the Premier League and depend on success in this UCL campaign to be a part of the competition next season too.
However club legend Jimmy Hasselbaink says that:
"“If you want to win the Champions League, you have to beat the best. It’s not going to be an easy game [vs Real Madrid], but you have to believe. We [Chelsea] have done it in the past and there’s no reason why we can’t do it again.”"
The cauldron-like atmosphere of Santiago Bernabeu should ensure that the Los Blancos are fired up for the contest and the Gaffer Frank Lampard will have to ensure that his players don’t wilt in the face of such vociferous home support.
On his return to his very own club, Lampard tried to change the setup that Graham Potter used lately by switching to a back four. The squad struggled and eventually failed to take away anything from the game at the Molineux Stadium which might force CFC to return to a back three which the side is familiar with and provides much more stability.
The return of Mason Mount and the veteran Thiago Silva will definitely prove to be a massive boost to the squad. However the likes of Benoit Badiashile, David Datro Fofana and Noni Madueke will be unavailable for selection after missing out on the UCL registration. Carney Chukwuemeka isn’t included in the squad travelling to Madrid. And Armando Broja is out due to his long term injury.