The 13-time champion Real Madrid will host the high flyers, Chelsea, at Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano on Tuesday night at Spanish capital Madrid. UEFA Champions League semi-final between the two prominent sides.
Our 24-man squad for #RMACHE has been confirmed! 🤝
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) April 26, 2021
Chelsea’s Hakim Ziyech has been straight associated with six goals in seven Champions League fixtures in the knockout stage. He was also the one to score against Real Madrid as an Ajax player in 2018-19 last 16. Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy has allowed just two goals in his first nine Champions League appearances. Keylor Navas between 2014 and 2016 for Real Madrid only goalkeeper to manage it for ten games.
✨🆕 INSIDE TRAINING
🎬 Semi-final READY!
🏆 @ChampionsLeague
↪️ FULL VIDEO:https://t.co/kfxmMPgSmr#UCL pic.twitter.com/nUySvRk5em— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) April 26, 2021
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Meanwhile, Real Madrid has performed well so far this season when it mattered the most, and the Champions League has been exceptional so far this season for the Los Blancos except few last games in their domestic league but they are firm and anything can not be taken lightly. As they crushed Liverpool at their home and went with a draw at Anfield.
Team News
Real Madrid
Full-back Ferland Mendy is suffering from a calf problem, and captain Sergio Ramos has the same issue but he is expected to be back for the second leg against Chelsea. Lucas Vasquez from the day of El Clasico is out for the whole season after picking up an injury in the first half of the game. while Federico Valverde is in quarantine due to COVID-19. Good side, Eden Hazard and Toni Kroos are already back in the squad as injury boost.
Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane said: “He’s fine. He was very comfortable when he played the other day and that was the most important thing – he didn’t feel any pain. He’s ready to go now. We’re happy he’s available because he’s going to bring a lot to the team.”
Zidane said, “it is absurd to think we could not be in the Champions League”.
“I don’t think Chelsea will sit back. They’re a complete team, they attack and defend well.”
Chelsea
Chelsea’s former Real midfielder Mateo Kovacic is their only absentee with a muscle injury. Croatian midfielder Mateo Kovacic is still battling a hamstring injury and he will miss the game. Apart from that rest of the squad is fit to play.
Thomas Tuchel said: “We deserve to be in the semi-final, just like Real Madrid,”. And we don’t deserve it because of political decisions, or influence, or size, or nice shirts: we deserve it because we came a long way.” Tuchel wants his players to “be ourselves” and “rely on our strengths and do the things that make you confident”. We have these things as a team. The challenge is to be the best version of ourselves,” he said. “Maybe the next level is to keep the level, sometimes it’s like this. Don’t drop the level.”
Real Madrid vs Chelsea Possible XI
Real Madrid XI (3-4-3): Thibaut Courtois; Raphaël Varane, Eder Militao, Nacho; Marcelo, Luka Modric, Casemiro, Toni Kroos; Vinicius Junior, Karim Benzema, Eden Hazard
Chelsea XI (3-5-2): Edouard Mendy; Andreas Christensen, Thiago Silva, Antonio Rudiger; Cesar Azpilicueta, Jorginho, N’Golo Kante, Mason Mount, Ben Chilwell; Christian Pulisic, Timo Werner
