"You have to enjoy these moments. When the whole world is watching you while you are taking a penalty in the last minute you are nervous. I was."
The words of Kai Havertz after netting the winning goal in Chelsea's FIFA Club World Cup win over Palmeiras just over 12 months ago. The German was on hand for the Blues in the 117th minute where he put the ball down 12 yards out from goal and fired the ball into the back of the net.
It's not the only time Havertz has produced in the biggest moments. A much more infamous goal was his winner against Manchester City in 2021 in the Champions League final. It's a goal that has gone down in Chelsea history and will live on forever. No matter what he does in the future, he will always be a big part of the club's heritage.
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More recently, Havertz was responsible for sending Chelsea through to the Champions League quarter-final after scoring the winning penalty to complete a comeback against Borussia Dortmund last month. Albeit it's not quite the severity or the stage of the Man City goal. But it was still a massive goal and yet another occasion where the 23-year-old has stood up on the big occasion for Chelsea.
This evening's Champions League showdown with Real Madrid is another occasion where Chelsea's attacker needs to produce some magic once again. Los Blancos lead 2-0 after a dominant performance at the Santiago Bernabeu less than a week ago.
Havertz actually didn't start in that game, something that may have surprised a lot of supporters. Interim head coach Frank Lampard went with a 3-5-2 system and opted with Joao Felix and Raheem Sterling in the striker positions – something that clearly did not work on the night.
The Germany international did come on, however, in the second-half which means he is still the only player in the Chelsea squad to have featured in every single Champions League game this season. Tonight's match looks like the kind of occasion where Havertz has so often flourished in the past but the enormity of the task is absolutely huge.
Real Madrid are such a well-oiled machine, with want of a better phrase, but they do actually operate like a machine. The midfield three, whoever it consists of because of the depth Carlo Ancelotti has to choose from, is so well suited to playing in knockout matches in the Champions League. They can really take the game away from opposition teams with how they control a match dictating the ball.
Last week, Chelsea failed to implement a successful pressing system on Madrid and because of how deep they were forced to sit, it allowed the likes of Toni Kroos and Luka Modric too much time in possession and the visitors were made to pay at the Santiago Bernabeu. That cannot be the case this evening and it will be a different match, but Madrid showed at Anfield earlier in the season that they are not too fazed by a hostile atmosphere, despite a very dodgy start to the tie.
Chelsea will be hoping the likes of Havertz and whoever lines up alongside the German can produce some much-needed attacking magic, something Lampard hasn't been able to get out of the forwards since returning to the club on an interim basis. The Blues will be hoping to produce a memorable performance at Stamford Bridge – one that will go down in the club's history – and one that will see a much happier Todd Boehly address the players after.
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