A huge Champions League quarter-final gets under way this evening as Real Madrid visit title holders Chelsea.
Chelsea enter this first leg on the back of a remarkable 4-1 defeat by Brentford in the Premier League, a result that ended a fine run of form for a club whose future is uncertain amid owner Roman Abramovich’s enforced sale.
FOLLOW LIVE: Teams and all the action as Chelsea face Real Madrid in the Champions League
Real Madrid, meanwhile, were 2-1 winners against Celta Vigo last weekend as they bounced back from a humiliating 4-0 loss to El Clasico rivals Barcelona. The La Liga leaders are also out for revenge against Chelsea here, having lost 3-1 to the Blues on aggregate in last season’s semi-finals.
Real, who have won this competition more times than any other club (13) showed their pedigree in the last round, with Karim Benzema scoring a second-leg hat-trick to secure an improbable comeback victory over Paris Saint-Germain. Meanwhile, Chelsea eased past Lille 4-1 over two games.
Here’s all you need to know about tonight’s first leg.
When is it?
The match will kick off at 8pm BST at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday 6 April.
How can I watch it?
The game will air live on BT Sport 2 and BT Sport Ultimate in the UK, with coverage beginning at 7pm BST.
The broadcaster’s website and app will also stream the action live, and The Independent will provide live updates.
Confirmed line-ups
Chelsea: Mendy, Christensen, Silva, Rudiger, James, Kante, Jorginho, Azpilicueta, Mount, Havertz, Pulisic
Real Madrid: Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Alaba, F Mendy; Kroos, Casemiro, Modric; Valverde, Benzema, Vinicius Jr.
Odds
Chelsea: 11/10
Draw: 49/20
Real Madrid: 3/1
Prediction
A cagey affair, with Real capitalising on Chelsea being slightly out of sorts to take the lead, only for the Blues to hit back and ensure the score is level heading into the second leg. Chelsea 1-1 Real Madrid.
