3 things that could prove to be Real Madrid's undoing vs. Chelsea in the Champions League quarter-final second leg.
Real Madrid will be hoping to secure their passage into the next round of the Champions League when they take on defending champions Chelsea at the Bernabeu on April 12.
Carlo Ancelotti's team will be heading into the second leg of the quarter-final with a 3-1 advantage after an emphatic victory at Stamford bridge.
Carlo Ancelotti post-match interview after Real Madrid's 3-1 win vs Chelsea in the Champions League.
https://t.co/Rrzl65r0Fs
Real Madrid look to secure qualification to the semi-finals
The Spanish champions will need to avoid a defeat against Chelsea by a three-goal margin if they are to advance into the semi-finals.
Ancelotti's team still have a lot of work to do. The tie isn't totally over and Chelsea will still fancy their chances.
However, the Spanish team still hold a big advantage, and it's up to them to either qualify for the next round or lose.
This article will look at some things that could hinder Real Madrid from advancing into the next round of the Champions League.
#1 Overconfidence
Recent records show multiple instances where teams have thrown away a huge advantage in the Champions League and let their opponents stage a comeback.
Anything can happen in the second leg of a Champions League tie ✨
A look at some of the best comebacks [THREAD] https://t.co/xYvurLDav8
A typical example is Barcelona's remarkable comeback against PSG on March 8 2017, during the second leg of the Champions League round of 16.
PSG had a 4-0 advantage heading into Camp Nou, but were overconfident with themselves. Barcelona ran the Paris side ragged to win the game 6-1, staging one of the biggest comebacks in European football.
La Remontada
Barcelona became the first team to come back from a four-goal first-leg deficit by defeating PSG 6-1 🤯
(via @ChampionsLeague)
https://t.co/3DmisGNvG1
The same fate could befall Real Madrid at the Bernabeu if they go into the tie with too much confidence in their first leg victory and do not give their best on the pitch.
As it stands, Los Blancos hold a slender 3-1 advantage heading into the second leg. All the Blues need to do is score three unreplied goals to knockout Ancelotti's team.
#2 Wrong Approach
Ancelotti needs to get his approach right heading into the second leg, or they could be stunned by Chelsea.
Teams have always been fond of trying to defend their first leg advantage in a bid not to concede much during the second leg.
The Spanish side hold a 3-1 advantage and may choose to sit back and defend their lead from the very first minute against Chelsea.
Edouard Mendy allows Benzema to score hattrick against Chelsea https://t.co/JTH1nMQaDf
However, deploying a defensive approach could be disastrous for Real Madrid. It could give Chelsea more room to heap pressure on them, possibly leading to mistakes by Ancelotti's men.
In football, the best way to defend is to attack. Madrid shouldn't sit back against Chelsea or they could be in for a shocker at the Bernabeu.
#3 Poor Finishing
The inability to convert their chances could allow Real Madrid to surrender their 3-1 advantage over Chelsea at the Bernabeu.
Chelsea's desperation to score will definitely leave the Madrid side with some goal scoring chances, but failure to utilize them could leave the tie wide open and give the Blues more hope in the game.
A clear example was that of Barcelona and PSG in 2017, where the likes of Edinson Cavani and Angel Di Maria were guilty of wasting clear-cut chances at Camp Nou.
Had PSG been clinical enough on the night, any hopes of Barcelona staging a comeback would have been finished, but they left the tie open and were punished. Sergio Roberto's last second winner in the 95th minute secured Barcelona's passage.
Sergio Roberto's goal for Barcelona against PSG in the 90+4th Minute is so much better with Titanic Music! #Titanic #Emotion https://t.co/LVAYFgF8jz
Real Madrid need to be ruthless in front of goal, just as they were during the first leg. They will need their forwards to be clinical to avoid what could be a major upset from Chelsea at the Bernabeu.