4 key changes Chelsea should make against Real Madrid for the Champions League Quarterfinals' second leg
Chelsea will be hoping to overturn a 3-1 home defeat when they take on Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu on April 12.
The reigning European champions were dealt a heavy blow in their quest to retain their crown after Carlo Ancelotti's side ran riot at Stamford bridge.
A sublime hat-trick from Karim Benzema was enough to give the Spanish side a huge advantage heading into the second leg.
Chelsea will look to right their wrongs
For head coach Thomas Tuchel, a few things went wrong from a tactical perspective during the first leg encounter which saw the Blues collapse.
However, heading into the second leg, the German tactician will need to make changes if Chelsea are to secure a win over Real Madrid.
This article will look at four key tactical decisions that Tuchel will need to make.
#1 Right Center-Back Situation
One area that will be crucial to Chelsea securing a tangible result against Real Madrid on Tuesday will be the right centre-back position.
The Blues were unable to keep up with the pace and trickery of Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior at Stamford bridge.
The Brazilian was a constant threat on the wings for Real Madrid, and he was too much for Andreas Christensen to keep up with.
Tuchel admits it was his mistake to allow Vinicius Junior space in between the centre back (Christensen) and wing back (Reece James). #CFC #UCL
Vinicius out-classed Christensen thus creating enough room for him to link up with Benzema and ultimately create a goal for the French striker.
Vinicius Jr to Karim Benzema for Real Madrid vs Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Benzema and Vinícius Jr have combined for five Champions League goals this season.
Real have finally defeated Chelsea for the first-time ever after six attempts. https://t.co/DUO4RnC53Y
Tuchel will need to address the situation and may possibly go with Reece James, who has the pace and energy to match Vinicius on the wings.
James would be Tuchel's best option for Chelsea at right centre-back against Real Madrid. It would, however, lead to another headache of who to play at right wing-back, where James usually features.
#2 Midfield Combination
The midfield pairing was an issue as the combination of Jorginho and Kante didn't pay off in the first leg.
Chelsea were clearly outplayed in midfield at Stamford bridge. Tuchel was forced to take off Kante at half-time and bring on Mateo Kovacic and Hakim Ziyech so the blues could gain some stability.
Jorginho was also taken off as well in the 3-1 defeat. He lacked the physicality and pace to combat the trio of Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Casemiro.
Kroos, Casemiro and Modric proved that they can still do it on the big European nights. Helped by Valverde’s tireless work effort they controlled the whole tempo, made it look easy and won duels after duels. @eurosport📰 Kroos, Casemiro and Modric proved that they can still do it on the big European nights. Helped by Valverde’s tireless work effort they controlled the whole tempo, made it look easy and won duels after duels. @eurosport
Tuchel could be forced to use the duo of Kante and Kovacic on Tuesday as it looks to be Chelsea's best midfield on paper.
The duo played together in the Blues' emphatic 6-0 win away to Southampton over the weekend, as they ran the show in midfield.
N'Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic made 13 tackles and 16 ball recoveries combined against Southampton.
Midfield dynamos. https://t.co/sasCS1R1DJ
Both Kante and Kovacic are known for their ball recovery and tackling abilities. They had a combined 16 recoveries and 13 tackles against the Saints.
Mateo Kovacic is a living baller 😍 https://t.co/LXtW2TeyQ1
Kovacic acts as the glue that holds Chelsea's midfield. His runs and dribbling ability have helped Tuchel's team in transition, and could be crucial against Real Madrid.
3. Wing-Backs Situation
Tuchel will also have to rethink his wing-back set-up heading into the second leg. The duo of James and Cesar Azpilicueta were rendered ineffective at Stamford bridge.
James got carried away into attack often and failed to track back, leaving Christensen alone to deal with Vinicius.
Tuchel could once again experiment with the option of Marcos Alonso and Ruben Loftus-Cheek as wing-backs against Real Madrid, just as he did against Southampton. Loftus-Cheek put in a very good performance on the right flank for the Blues.
He made nine ball recoveries, won 12 duels, and completed 11 out of his 12 attempted forward passes in the attacking third against Southampton.
🏴 Ruben Loftus-Cheek completed 11/12 attacking third passes, made 9 ball recoveries, won 12 total duels and suffered 6 fouls against Southampton.
Very impressive. #SouChe #CFC https://t.co/1N67JV3Xps
He could as well be the catalyst that Tuchel could use to get an emphatic win over Real Madrid on Tuesday at the Bernabeu.
Playing Loftus-Cheek at wing-back could give Chelsea an extra man in midfield, just as Ancelotti used Valverde in his 4-4-2 formation at Stamford bridge.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek vs Southampton https://t.co/ffG3mP5HoI
Alonso's experience will also be key for Chelsea at left wing-back and will be best suited for the game. He will also offer the Blues a more attacking threat going forward.
#4 Forwards combination
Whichever attacking combination Tuchel opts for will be key if they are to secure a win against Real Madrid.
Real Madrid will possibly want to sit back and defend their two-goal advantage. It would be advisable for the German tactician not to start either Timo Werner or Romelu Lukaku.
Both players aren't well suited to play against teams with low blocks, as it starves them of space to operate in attack.
Against Southampton, Werner was effective as the Saints played a somewhat high line which gave him room and space to run in behind and get enough chances on goal.
Thomas Tuchel on Timo Werner:
"He could have scored more. He had huge chances and a lot of chances. It was his favourite position against an opponent we knew we could find spaces in behind."
[via @SkySports]
That may not be the case against Real Madrid, as Ancelotti's team will definitely tighten things at the back. This means Chelsea will have to work out their own chances.
Against a potential low block, the trio of Mason Mount, Kai Havertz and Christian Pulisic should be the preferred picks. They have the skillset to unlock and drag Real Madrid's defenders out of position.
Pulisic - Havertz - Mount front three for Chelsea against Real Madrid… 🔥 https://t.co/Hlml4Jnxm9
Should the game then eventually go to plan early for Chelsea, bringing on a pacy Werner to see off the game could deliver the final punch for Tuchel's team.