Real Madrid vs Chelsea: 5 players who will decide the first leg
Real Madrid is going to play against Chelsea on Wednesday at Stamford Bridge in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals. This is the second time Real Madrid are visiting London to play at Stamford Bridge in the last eleven months.
Los Blancos wouldn’t want to remember the result of the last game they had played in London, as they lost it 2-0. But they would want to seek revenge against the defending champions Chelsea, for last year’s elimination. Madrid is still trying to mentally recover after the humiliating Clasico loss at the Bernabeu, but looking at their history, we can expect them to approach the Chelsea game with full confidence and spirit.
Chelsea, who are coached by a manager who has never lost to Real Madrid, seem to be the favorites, in spite of losing heavily to Brentford on Saturday. It would be interesting to see how Real Madrid fares against the disciplined Chelsea team, and there will be a lot of player matchups in that game.
As a part of the build-up to this highly anticipated clash between Real Madrid and Chelsea, let us have a look at the 5 players who can be decisive in this game and have the ability to be a match-winner for their team.
Real Madrid LW Vinicius Jr.
Vinicius Jr has pretty much been Real Madrid’s second-best attacker this season, proving to be the club’s match-winner and most hardworking attacker from time to time. He has registered 17 goals and 14 assists in all competitions this season, including 2 goals and 5 assists in the Champions League. He has taken up a more creative role in the Champions League, but he has always had an eye for the goal this season and has shown tremendous improvement in his finishing and decision making.
He had scored a brace in last year’s quarter-finals against Liverpool and was expected to be the player who can make a difference in the semi-finals against Chelsea. But unfortunately, he couldn’t replicate the same in the first leg against Chelsea at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano and struggled to get past the likes of Cesar Azpilicueta and Andreas Christensen on Chelsea’s right. He was eventually shifted to the right-wing in the second leg to make space for Eden Hazard. He gave a tough time to Ben Chilwell, but he couldn’t make a lot of impact from a position that was new for him.
This time he will start from the left, as Real Madrid’s chief attacking ball-carrier, but a lot will be expected from him. He has that ability to create something out of nothing, and be impactful during the break. He will have to work hard to find his way through Chelsea’s solid defense, which had conceded just 19 goals in the league before the game against Brentford. His battle against the likes of Reece James and Chalobah will be an interesting one.
One thing’s for sure. Vinicius can be a decisive player, and all he needs to do is to capitalize on the opportunities he gets and maintain his focus throughout the 90 minutes.