Real Madrid will face Chelsea in the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinals this Tuesday night at the Santiago Bernabeu, having defeated Thomas Tuchel’s side 3-1 in the first leg.
Although Los Blancos were as evenly-matched with the Blues as you’d expect, Karim Benzema proved to be the significant difference for the LaLiga leaders. He scored a hat-trick in back-to-back Champions League knockout stage matches, joining his former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo as the only players to accomplish this feat.
Madridistas will like Real’s chances of sealing the tie at the Santiago Bernabeu, where they just recently mounted a comeback – behind the first of Benzema’s back-to-back hat-tricks – against PSG.
After Carlo Ancelotti got his selections spot-on in the first leg, let’s predict how the Real Madrid lineup will look on Tuesday night vs. Chelsea.
GK Thibaut Courtois
Thibaut Courtois seemed to enjoy the boos that chorused across Stamford Bridge last Wednesday night. He had a couple of big saves and did well to help hold the Blues to just one goal in the first leg. The best goalkeeper in the world right now, you wouldn’t bet against Courtois having another clutch Champions League performance like the ones in Paris and Istanbul.
LB Ferland Mendy
Although Ferland Mendy did not play against Getafe, that was more of a precaution than anything to ensure the defensive left back will be in the starting XI against Chelsea. He will be put to the test.
CB David Alaba
After a solid game against Chelsea in the first leg, David Alaba turned in an 8 out of 10 against Getafe over the weekend. Alaba is always willing to put his body on the line to block a shot, and there are very few defenders who can match the No. 4’s reading of the game. His importance to the team’s build-up play was also observed on Saturday night. Look for Alaba to be involved in some tough duels and to come up with more heroics in the second leg, as Tuchel will throw everything he has at Real Madrid in order to get back to the semifinals of the competition he unforgettably won last year.
CB Nacho Fernandez
With Eder Militao suspended after picking up a yellow card in the first leg, the veteran Nacho Fernandez will start alongside the ex-Bayern Munich man. A homegrown star for Real Madrid, Nacho stood out in so many big games last season, including in the Champions League. And even in this year’s Champions League, he’s had big performances against the likes of Inter, PSG, and even Chelsea last week when he came in for Militao.
RB Dani Carvajal
While Dani Carvajal can be faulted for the goal Kai Havertz scored for Chelsea in the first leg, he bounced back after that mistake. A microscope is on Carvajal after some lousy performances this season, namely against PSG and Barcelona in two embarrassing losses. Though Lucas Vazquez played an amazing game against Getafe in LaLiga to give Carvajal rest, the latter remains the best option at right back. But can he show it in the second leg for the full 90 minutes without errors? Tuchel will put him to the test, too.