4 Chelsea players who will be key to securing a win against Real Madrid today
Chelsea will be in action against Spanish giants Real Madrid today in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League. Thomas Tuchel's team will be hoping to retain their European crown this campaign after winning the competition last season.
Both Real Madrid and Chelsea met last season in the semi-finals, with the Blues beating their Spanish opponents 3-1 on aggregate and thus progressing to the finals.
However, Real Madrid look like a better team than the side that lost to Chelsea last season, and the Blues will need to be at the top of their game to grind out a victory. For Tuchel's men, four players will be crucial if they eventually come out with all three points against Real Madrid, and we will be having a look at it in this article.
#4 Edouard Mendy - Chelsea Goalkeeper
Chelsea will really need to rely on their Senegalese shot-stopper Edouard Mendy today against Real Madrid if they are to secure a victory. The Blues will be hoping to keep a cleansheet at home to gain an advantage against Carlo Ancelotti's team heading into the second leg.
The 30-year-old shot-stopper needs to be at his very best to keep the lethal Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema at bay. The striker is in the form of his life and has scored eight goals in his seven Champions League appearances this season. His goals included an incredible 17-minute hat-trick against Paris Saint-Germain in the Round of 16 second leg.
The rise of Edouard Mendy 💙 https://t.co/Da1fNNGOGF
The Chelsea goalkeeper has conceded just two goals in seven Champions League games this season and has also kept five clean sheets. He kept nine clean sheets in 12 games in the same competition last season and was one of the key reasons why Chelsea were crowned champions.
#3 Reece James - Right-Back
Another Chelsea player who will be key to the Blues securing a win against Real Madrid tonight is right wingback Reece James. The Englishman was on a roll at the start of the season, scoring and assisting four goals each in his first nine Premier League games.
The full-back, however, was injured and missed most of the important games for the club. He is back after injury and will be looking to provide another attacking outlet with his dangerous crosses and attempts on goal from the right. So far this season, he has been directly involved in 13 goal involvements in 27 games across competitions.
The 22-year-old will have a lot of work to do in terms of keeping Real Madrid winger Vincius Junior quiet. James will also be wary of the lethal partnership between Vinicius and Benzema, which has culminated in an astounding 78 direct goal involvement this season.
#3 Ngolo Kante - Midfielder
The diminutive midfielder is the man for the big moments for the Blues and played a key role in them winning the Champions League last season. He bossed the midfield in the knockout stages and was voted 'Man of the Match' in Chelsea's final three Champions League games last season. This included both the legs against Real Madrid in the semifinals.
Ngolo Kante trophies won in his career. https://t.co/SjeIG86sEk
Kante has been toiling for the Blues this Premier League season, putting in 113 recoveries, winning 87 duels and making 39 tackles. The battle between the clubs will largely come down to their midfield with Kante, Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic against Los Blancos' famed midfield trio of Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Casemiro.
Modric (493) and Kroos (488) rank sixth and eighth respectively in successfully completed passes in the competition this season. The Blues will need Kante to step up once again if the Londoners need to nullify Los Blancos' extremely experienced midfield.
#4 Kai Havertz - Forward
Kai Havertz is the final Blues player who will be key against Real Madrid today. Except for tactical reasons, it is widely expected that Tuchel will play the German forward instead of the club's record signing Romelu Lukaku.
Havertz is the glue that holds the Londoners' attack and midfield together. His movement and link-up playing ability helps the Blues in creating goal scoring chances.
The Blues will probably want to catch Real Madrid on the counter, and Havertz will definitely play a key part in whatever system Tuchel will deploy. The German has been in good form lately, as he produced four goals and one assist in the month of March.
Blues fans will fondly remember that the 22-year-old scored the winning goal against Manchester City in the Champions League final last season. He also recently scored the winning goal against Palmeiras in the FIFA Club World Cup final. The Blues faithful will be hoping he replicates those heroics in this all-important quarter-final.