Chelsea Football Club faces a daunting task as they aim to overcome a 2-0 deficit against Real Madrid in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals at Stamford Bridge. Manager Frank Lampard and his team will need to be at their absolute best and then some to have any chance of progressing to the next round.
While Chelsea has a history of unlikely comebacks in the competition, this would undoubtedly be their most remarkable feat if they manage to achieve it against the formidable Madrid side led by Carlo Ancelotti, who has a proven track record of success in European competitions. However, recent form does not favor Chelsea, as they have failed to win in their last five games.
Lampard himself has yet to taste victory in his three matches in caretaker charge, with only one goal scored. In the first leg against Real Madrid, Chelsea was outplayed and fortunate to come away with a chance to fight back in the second leg. The task becomes even more challenging as they will be without two of their starting defenders from the first leg.
Ben Chilwell was shown a red card for a last-man foul in the second half, while Kalidou Koulibaly sustained an injury and had to be substituted in the Santiago Bernabeu. This could force Lampard to reshuffle his defense and alter the team’s shape in an attempt to turn the tide in their favor.
As Chelsea prepares for the crucial second leg, the odds are stacked against them. However, Lampard and his team will be determined to defy the odds and create another chapter of Champions League history if they are to progress to the next round.
Here are the full set of players he will have available for the game.
Goalkeepers: Kepa Arrizabalaga, Edouard Mendy, Marcus Bettinelli
Defenders: Thiago Silva, Trevoh Chalobah, Reece James, Cesar Azpilicueta, Marc Cucurella, Wesley Fofana.
Midfielders: Enzo Fernandez, N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Mason Mount, Denis Zakaria, Conor Gallagher.
Forwards: Christian Pulisic, Joao Felix, Mykhailo Mudryk, Raheem Sterling, Hakim Ziyech, Kai Havertz.
