A Tempting Underdog is on the Loose in London
Chelsea wants to become the second team in UEFA Champions League history to win back-to-back titles. Curiously enough, the Blues will have to eliminate the only team that has achieved such a feat, Real Madrid, to keep hope alive.
The Blues come in as the betting online favorites for the first leg of the Quarterfinals. They deserve it, but you won’t find a more tempting underdog than Real Madrid, especially at +280. There’ll be fireworks in London!
Let’s check the latest news, stats, injury reports, and Champions League odds for Chelsea vs Real Madrid. We’ve plenty of predictions for you to consider.
Chelsea Almost Perfect
Chelsea finished the Group Stage with a 4-1-1 record, 13 goals for and only four against. Juventus, the team that finished atop the group, scored less goals and allowed more, the Blues crushed the Vecchia Signora 4-0 at Stamford Bridge.
Most recently, they eliminated Lille, the current Ligue 1 champions. The Blues won both games. First, 2-0 in London with goals from Kai Havertz and Christian Pulisic. Then, 2-1 in Lille with goals from Pulisic and Cesar Azpilicueta.
We’re talking about a team with talent to spare. Romelu Lukaku, Timo Werner, Mason Mount, and Hakim Ziyech didn’t start in Lille. All four would be lock starters in pretty much any other team.
Winning the UCL is Chelsea’s main goal. That’s why head coach Thomas Tuchel sent a B-team to face Brentford last Saturday. The Blues ended up losing 4-1. Don’t expect something similar to happen on Wednesday.
Besides being the champs, the Blues also deserve to control the soccer lines at +110 due to their most recent performances at home. They won their last five matches with a 13-0 aggregate.
There are no major injuries to report here.
Real Madrid Never Stops Believing
Last weekend, Real Madrid suffered but defeated Celta de Vigo 2-1 with Karim Benzema as the Man of the Match. That was exactly our football prediction. Benzema returned after missing El Clasico, in which Madrid was humiliated.
Having Benzema back is huge for Los Blancos. He’s the team’s top scorer with 34 goals in all competitions, but that’s not all. The Frenchman is also the team’s captain and motivator.
Regarding the UCL, Los Blancos finished the Group Stage with a 5-0-1 record, 14 goals and only three against. In the Round of 16, they faced PSG and lost the first leg 1-0. They were losing the second leg as well but then Benzema appeared to save the day with a hat-trick. Madrid won the series 3-2.
Prior to losing to the Parisians, Real Madrid won three straight road games without conceding a single goal. Los Blancos were heavily criticized when they let Sergio Ramos go, but apparently, they were right. Eder Militao and David Alaba have become one of the best center-back duos in Europe.
No major injuries to report here either.
Chelsea vs Real Madrid Head-to-Head
- Previous Matches: 5
- Chelsea Victories: 3 (7 goals)
- Real Madrid Victories: 0 (3 goals)
- Draws: 2
Real Madrid has never beaten Chelsea. Four of their previous five meetings were in London, but that shouldn’t be an excuse for such a powerful team.
As I mentioned before, they collided in last season’s Semifinals. The first leg was in Madrid and ended 1-1. The Blues sealed the deal at home with a 2-0 victory. Pulisic, Werner, and Mount scored for Chelsea, while Benzema did it for Madrid.
Chelsea vs Real Madrid Game Information
- Date: Wednesday, April 6
- Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
- Location: Stamford Bridge, London
- Chelsea vs Real Madrid Live Stream: fubo.tv
Chelsea vs Real Madrid Betting Lines
Chelsea vs Real Madrid Prediction
Less than three months ago, Edouard Mendy won FIFA’s Best Goalkeeper award. In 2018, Thibaut Courtois won Best Goalkeeper at the World Cup. Can you see where this is going? Chelsea and Real Madrid have incredibly talented attacking units, but being the first leg, I don’t expect too many goals. Especially with those two at 100 percent.
Plus, when on the road, Real Madrid likes to play on the counterattack. On the other hand, the Blues don’t need to expose themselves much despite playing at home. Remember that the away goal rule isn’t valid anymore. That’s why my advice is to include the draw in your online gambling ticket.
Score Prediction: Chelsea 1, Real Madrid 1
