Amid rumors of a shock return to the Stamford Bridge dugout as the Blues hierarchy searches for a new permanent head coach, Ancelotti has his sights set on adding to his impressive continental trophy haul with his fab five. The four-time Champions League-winning manager typically shows no signs of panic, and his team left the Anfield crowd shell-shocked after scoring five without reply before securing a slender 1-0 win at the Bernabeu to progress to the quarter-finals.
Real Madrid has earmarked Champions League title number 15 as priority number one, as they aim to eliminate an English team from a knockout tie for the fourth time in a row. Their Catalonian counterparts, Barcelona, continue to ride off into the sunset, while Real Madrid, who will also take on Osasuna in the Copa del Rey final, is still in the running for two major titles this season.
Chelsea, who have reached the Champions League quarter-finals for the third time in a row, will be hoping to exact revenge on Real Madrid after the Spanish giants knocked them out of the competition last year. The Blues have remarkably not lost to the defending champions since being put to the sword by Porto in 2004-05, winning two and drawing four for the longest-ever unbeaten streak against the European cup holders.
INJURIES & SUSPENSIONS
The only injured player being attended by the Real Madrid medical team is Ferland Mendy, who is still recovering from a calf injury suffered during training last month, and he is expected to be the only absentee for the upcoming match.
Carlo Ancelotti didn't hesitate to rest several key players in the team's defeat to Villarreal. However, players such as Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, Eder Militao, and Eduardo Camavinga, who played the full 90 minutes in both legs against Liverpool, are all expected to return to the starting lineup.
The same can be said for Federico Valverde, who allegedly punched Villarreal's Alex Baena after the match due to a personal comment made about his unborn child, which Baena has denied. Villarreal confirmed that Baena filed a complaint with the police, but there is currently no indication that Valverde will not be available for the game on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Chelsea's Mason Mount, who is serving a suspension, is eligible to return for the first leg. However, a recurrence of his abdominal injury makes him a major doubt for the match. Armando Broja and Thiago Silva are also out with knee injuries, while Cesar Azpilicueta has not yet recovered from a head injury.
Benoit Badiashile, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Noni Madueke, and David Datro Fofana are not part of Chelsea's Champions League squad. Although N'Golo Kante was absent from the squad to face Wolves, it was only a precautionary measure following his return from a hamstring injury, and he is expected to make a quick comeback alongside Dortmund hero Ben Chilwell.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Real Madrid possible starting lineup:Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Rudiger, Alaba; Modric, Camavinga, Kroos; Valverde, Benzema, Vinicius Jr
Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Kepa; James, Fofana, Koulibaly, Chilwell; Kovacic, Fernandez, Kante; Sterling, Havertz, Felix
EXPERT PREDICTION
Real Madrid 3-0 Chelsea
Although Chelsea has had success against previous Champions League winners, their impressive unbeaten streak is likely to come to a comprehensive end. Villarreal exposed Real Madrid's defensive vulnerabilities, but with key players rested over the weekend, Los Blancos should be confident of securing a significant first-leg advantage before visiting Stamford Bridge next week.
