“Chelsea are gonna win 3-0 tonight” - Todd Boehly makes emphatic claim ahead of Real Madrid clash
Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly has defiantly predicted his side to beat Real Madrid 3-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu tonight (April 12).
The Blues head to Madrid for the first-leg of their UEFA Champions League quarterfinal tie with Los Blancos. They are viewed as the underdogs amid their poor season.
However, Boehly has backed Chelsea to seal a convincing 3-0 victory over Real Madrid on their opponent's home turf. He told Sky Sports:
“Chelsea are gonna win 3-0 tonight. I tell the fans: have a lot of faith."
Boehly and the fellow Blues hierarchy have put their faith in Frank Lampard to see out the remainder of the season as caretaker boss. The Chelsea legend has returned to the club after Graham Potter was sacked.
Lampard is tasked with trying to turn around what has been a disappointing campaign at Stamford Bridge. His side sit 11th in the league and a lack of goals have been an issue for the west Londoners. Nevertheless, Boehly seems adamant that the Premier League club can seal a memorable 3-0 win over Los Merengues.
The American businessman is aware of the amount of work that still needs doing at the club. They have spent over £600 million since he became co-owner last May. He added:
“We look at this as a long term process, we have a lot of work to do. We’ve lot of faith about the future. Our future is bright”.
It seems somewhat unlikely that the Blues will be able to secure a 3-0 win over Madrid at the Bernabeu. However, Lampard's side will take comfort in the fact that they are the last side to score three or more goals in the Champions League against Carlo Ancelotti's side.
This occurred last season when Chelsea managed a 3-2 victory over Real Madrid. However, it was in vain as Los Blancos advanced to the semi-finals of the Champions League with a 4-3 aggregate win.
Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti compares Federico Valverde to Chelsea legend Frank Lampard
Real Madrid midfielder Fede Valverde will likely start in his side's clash with Chelsea tonight. The Uruguayan has been in fine form this season, scoring 12 goals and providing four assists in 44 games across competitions.
His goalscoring capabilities and presence in midfield leading to attack has earned comparisons with the Blues icon and current caretaker boss Lampard. Ancelotti suggested so in an interview with Sky Sport Italia.
The Madrid boss lauded Lampard, who spent two seasons playing under the Italian at Stamford Bridge. He said:
"Lampard was a great player, a modern midfielder. He scored many goals because he had a unique ability to find space in the box with his late runs."
Ancelotti was then asked which of his current Los Blancos players is most similar to Lampard. He responded:
“It’s hard, but Valverde is another box-to-box player with similar characteristics. However, it also depends on what a coach demands, and I am not asking him to do the same things as Lampard.”