CHELSEA are taking on Real Madrid in a huge Champions League quarter-final second leg RIGHT NOW!
Frank Lampard's Blues are 2-0 down from the first leg, and must stage a Real Madrid-style comeback to go through to the semi-finals.
Carlo Ancelotti's side famously battled from behind to beat Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Manchester City to reach the 2022 final where they beat Liverpool.
The headline team news was that Raheem Sterling and Joao Felix have dropped to the bench as Lampard rings the changes.
- Kick-off: 8pm UK time
- TV channel: BT Sport 1
- Live stream: BT Sport website and app
- Chelsea XI: Kepa; James, Thiago Silva, Fofana, Chalobah, Cucurella; Kovacic, Kanté, Enzo Fernandez; Gallagher Havertz
- Real Madrid XI: Courtois, Carvajal, Militao, Alaba, Camavinga, Kroos, Modric, Valverde, Rodrgyo, Vinicius Jnr, Benzema
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- Alex Smith
Kick-off
1. We are underway at Stamford Bridge.
- Alex Smith
Where is the anthem?
The players are lining up ahead of kick-off, waiting for the iconic Champions League anthem only for it not to be played… bizarre.
- Alex Smith
Talking Tactics
Pundits Rio Ferdinand and Joe Cole have been discussing Chelsea's line-up and the formation Frank Lampard could implement tonight.
Pictures have showed assistant coach Ashley Cole passionately barking orders at all five of Chelsea's defenders leading to Ferdinand believing they expect to play on the back foot tonight and hit on the counter attack.
Meanwhile, on the midfield setup, Cole is confident that a 'box' will be used to allow James to push forward with one of the central midfielders coming across to double up on Vinicius Jr with Wesley Fofana.
- Alex Smith
Sutton hits out at Boehly
Ex-Chelsea striker Chris Sutton has hit out at owner Todd Boehly for reportedly entering the dressing room to rant at his players.
Sutton said to the BBC: "I know Frank Lampard has said it's okay with him for Todd Boehly to go into the dressing room but I'm not so sure he would feel that privately.
"As a former player, I have got an idea of what most of the players would have made of the owner coming in and having words with them. They will have been with the impression it was pretty pointless and they couldn't care less what he says."
Kepa has refused to comment on what Boehly said after the Brighton game but confirmed he often comes into the changing room.
- Alex Smith
Lacking goals
A shocking stat has emerged about the lack of goals in Chelsea's starting XI.
The eleven players in the team have netted a combined 17 goals this season in all competitions, nine of which have been scored by Kai Havertz.
The likes of Ivan Toney (18), Harry Kane (25), Karim Benzema (26) and Erling Haaland (47) have all scored more individually this term.
- Alex Smith
Lampard "believes"
Chelsea boss Frank Lampard maintains the belief that his side can win the Champions League.
The interim boss said to BT Sport that the year he won the trophy as a player was one of "the worst" he experienced at Chelsea, yet it ended in glory.
Lampard also said that it's tough to install confidence in his team with results not improving and he has stressed that players coming off the bench could be key this evening.
- Alex Smith
Fans slam line-up
Chelsea fans have been stunned by Frank Lampard's team selection ahead of the Champions League clash with Real Madrid.
The interim manager named a very defensive side with four defensive midfielders in the line-up ahead of the quarter-final at Stamford Bridge.
One Blues supporter tweeted: "This is the worst Chelsea team I’ve seen in my entire life."
A second wrote: "Wow Chelsea are trying to draw this game 0-0. Most negative team I’ve ever seen."
A third commented: "Considering the circumstance (2-0 down) and the players at his disposal this is genuinely shocking."
- Alex Smith
Back at Stamford Bridge
Thibaut Courtois, Antonio Rudiger and Eden Hazard are all back at Stamford Bridge.
The Belgian goalkeeper is the only one of the trio that starts with Rudiger and Hazard amongst the subs bench.
Chelsea are also in danger of losing more players to the Spanish giants amid reports that Reece James is high up the club's list of potential summer signings and that they are open to spending £90m on him
- Alex Smith
King Karim
Karim Benzema will look to add to his 14 goals and two assists in his last nine appearances in the knockout stages – with his last 11 goals all coming against English teams.
The Frenchman netted against Chelsea last week, which was his sixth goal in five games versus the West Londoners.
Benzema famously scored a hat-trick in his last visit to Stamford Bridge in a 3-1 quarter-final win last season.
- Alex Smith
Chelsea's key man
Chelsea need a big performance from goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga tonight.
Real Madrid may be leading the tie 2-0 but are likely to still create chances and not play to just protect their lead with Frank Lampard's team likely to set-up more open in the search for an early goal.
Kepa was outstanding at the weekend to prevent Brighton netting more than twice and the Blues will require a number of big saves from him to get through tonight.
He has conceded just six times in eight Champions League games this season.
- Alex Smith
Tonight's odds
Match result:
- Chelsea – 17/10
- Draw – 5/2
- Real Madrid – 31/20
Champions League winner 2022/23:
- Man City – 10/11
- Real Madrid – 9/2
- Napoli – 7/1
- Inter Milan – 7/1
- AC Milan – 13/1
- Chelsea – 30/1
- Bayern Munich – 40/1
- Benfica – 66/1
Odds from Betfair.
Chelsea starting XI
Frank Lampard has named his starting XI ahead of tonight's game.
Line-up: Kepa, James, Fofana, Silva, Chalobah, Cucurella, Kovacic, Enzo, Kante, Gallagher, Havertz
Subs: Mendy, Pulisic, Felix, Loftus-Cheek, Mudryk, Sterling, Mount, Zakaria, Ziyech, Azpilicueta, Chukwuemeka, Hall
Whistle blower
A referee Luka Modric has labelled a "disaster" and "one of the worst" has been put in charge of Real Madrid's clash with Chelsea.
Daniele Orsato will be the official tonight for the huge Champions League quarter-final tie.
The Mail report there is "panic" from Madrid at the decision to appoint Orsato to the role given club grievances with him before.
Modric has been the most critical of the Italian ref after taking issue with his officiating in last year's World Cup semi-final between Croatia and Argentina.
Real Madrid starting XI
Carlo Ancelotti has already named his starting XI for this evening's game.
Starting XI: Courtois, Carvajal, Militao, Alaba, Camavinga, Kroos, Modric, Valverde, Rodrgyo, Vinicius Jnr, Benzema
Subs: Lunin, Lopez, Vallejo, Nacho, Hazard, Asensio, Odirozola, Vazquez, Tchouameni, Ceballos, Rudiger, Mariano
Chelsea vs Real Madrid
Chelsea are hoping to pull off something of a miracle tonight as they welcome Real Madrid to Stamford Bridge for the Champions League quarter-final second leg.
The return fixture in the Spanish capital saw the Blues lose 2-0 thanks to goals form Karim Benzema and Marco Asnesio.
To make matters worse, Ben Chilwell was sent off last week and is suspended this evening.
Frank Lampard is still waiting on his first win since returning to the club as interim boss after three games in charge and the task in his hands tonight is huge.
Todd Boehly supposedly took a trip to the Chelsea dressing room after their latest defeat to Brighton at the weekend to rant at his players and label the current struggles as "embarrassing."
We will find out tonight if the owner's message has got through to his team.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid are in fantastic form and arrive in London as the most decorated team in the competition's history, having lifted the trophy 14 times.
They blend experience via Luka Modric and Karim Benzema with youth and speed from Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo.
Los Blancos have also won all but one of their last five games, keeping a clean sheet in those victories too.
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