Chelsea vs Real Madrid is the next first leg match in this year's UEFA Champions League quarter finals. Real Madrid plan to take revenge on Chelsea for last year's UCL exit as they travel to London on Wednesday.

Chelsea vs Real Madrid: Match Preview:

After the international break, the Blues were stunned by their west London rivals at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, with Christian Eriksen among the goal scorers as Thomas Tuchel's side collapsed in humiliating, uncharacteristic fashion after initially leading through Antonio Rudiger.

Chelsea must swiftly recover from a first defeat to Brentford since 1939 that bore none of the hallmarks of their recent admirable on-pitch form that saw them put aside the significant off-field distractions linked to the club's impending takeover.

Tuchel is desperate for his side to successfully retain their European crown after seeing off Lille in the last 16, but they face a stern quarter-final test against the 13-time continental champions.

Madrid bounced back from their El Clasico rout by Barcelona to defeat Celta Vigo on Saturday in a game in which Karim Benzema scored two of three penalties, with Los Blancos now 12 points clear in the LaLiga title race with only eight matches left to play.

The visitors – who look set to be without ex-Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti again in west London due to Covid – will fear no one after their incredible comeback to topple Paris Saint-Germain in the last round, which saw them overturn a 2-0 deficit courtesy of a stunning 17-minute Benzema treble.

Team News:

Chelsea:

Chelsea will have most if not all of their big-hitters available for the first leg of their quarter-final, although Ben Chilwell remains out for the long-term and Callum Hudson-Odoi is now dealing with a back problem as well as a sore Achilles.

Back to work! 🤙 pic.twitter.com/HTPDq9QJVG

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) April 4, 2022

Christian Pulisic was a late return from international duty and did not take part against Brentford, but the USA international is expected to come into contention here and will certainly put Timo Werner's spot on the left at risk.

Reece James's return to fitness is sure to lead Tuchel to consider a switch to a three-man central defence, while Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic will both hope to replace Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who will miss the second leg if he is booked here.

Real Madrid:

As for Real Madrid, Eden Hazard will be forced to miss out on a reunion with his former club after undergoing a fibular plate operation, while backup striker Luka Jovic is a fitness doubt due to an ankle problem.

Ancelotti is otherwise well-stocked for the first leg, although Eder Militao will not be available for the return leg if he is cautioned, and only one change could occur on the visitors' end, with Dani Carvajal potentially displacing Lucas Vazquez at right-back.

Benzema's hat trick against PSG saw him move onto eight Champions League goals for the season, and one more would see him set a new record for French players in a single campaign.

Chelsea vs Real Madrid: Head to Head:

In three head-to-head encounters between the two sides, Real Madrid have won one game, lost one and drawn one.

The two clubs last faced each other last year in the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League. Chelsea beat Real Madrid 2-0 in the second leg, courtesy of goals from German attacker Timo Werner and England international Mason Mount.

Recent performances in all competitions:

Chelsea:

3-1 win over Norwich City

1-0 win over Newcastle United

2-1 win over Lille

2-0 win over Middlesbrough

4-1 losa against Brentford

Real Madrid:

4-1 win over Real Sociedad

3-1 win over Paris Saint-Germain

3-0 win over Mallorca

4-0 loss against Barcelona

2-1 win over Celta Vigo

Chelsea vs Real Madrid: Predicted Line-ups:

Chelsea Predicted XI (3-4-2-1): Edouard Mendy, Andreas Christensen, Thiago Silva, Antonio Rudiger, Reece James, N'Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Marcos Alonso, Mason Mount, Hakim Ziyech, Kai Havertz

Real Madrid Predicted XI (4-3-3): Thibaut Courtois, Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, David Alaba, Ferland Mendy, Luka Modric, Casemiro, Toni Kroos, Rodrygo Goes, Karim Benzema, Vinicius Junior

CHE vs RMA: Dream11 Predictions:

Hello and welcome to another grand night of European football. As we reach the fag end of the season, we have the big UEFA Conference League final between Real Betis and Chelsea FC at the Stadion Wrocław.

After missing out on Champions League and Europa League football, both teams now have their opportunity to bring home the third tier of European football competition, the Conference League.

Chelsea have been dominating throughout the tournament, which was in fact expected from the double Champions League winners. Meanwhile, after the inclusion of Anthony, Real Betis have looked like a different beast in La Liga and the Conference League.

So, we can expect a great match tonight with both teams looking for the glory. This is Koushik Biswas with the buildup and real-time updates of the Real Betis vs Chelsea FC Conference League Final for you. 

Enjoy the coverage. 

The English Premier League, or the Premier League, has been the best football league in Europe for a long now. As per UEFA Club Coefficients, the Premier League is the best football league on the continent, with the best standard of football and competitiveness. 

The competitiveness not only makes it tough for teams to finish at the summit of the points table, but the battle for the UEFA Champions League spot also intensifies. This season, Liverpool FC, Arsenal FC, Manchester City, Chelsea FC, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur have already qualified for the UEFA Champions League from the Premier League. 

This is the first time six teams from any league have qualified for the Champions League. Not only that, there is also a chance that another team can qualify for the UEFA Champions League next season, depending on Chelsea's performance in the Conference League final this season. 

Read Also | Ranking all 33 UEFA Champions League finals

How do teams qualify for the Champions League from a league?

Till the 2022-23 season, every top-four team from the European Leagues used to qualify for the UEFA Champions League. Along with the top four teams, the Europa League winners also qualified for the Champions League next season. 

But, from the 2024 season, along with the top four teams and Europa League/Conference League winners, leagues started getting an additional European Performance Spot. EPS is awarded to the league with strong UEFA coefficient performances, which the Premier League earned this season as well. 

Read Also | Every Premier League club’s biggest Free Transfer Exit

Premier League teams to qualify for the Champions League every season since 2016

2015-16

In the 2025-16 Champions League season, Chelsea qualified as the champions of the Premier League 2014-15. Manchester City and Arsenal qualified as the second and third finishers of the league. 

Meanwhile, Manchester United qualified for the Champions League play-off round as the UEFA Europa League 2014-15 winners.

1. Chelsea
2. Manchester City
3. Arsenal
4. Manchester United

2016-17

Leicester City surprised everyone to win the 2015-16 Premier League after a historic season. They entered the Champions League as the champions of England. Arsenal, Spurs and Manchester City qualified as the second to fourth spot finishers. 

• Leicester City (Champions, 1st)
• Arsenal (2nd)
• Tottenham Hotspur (3rd)
• Manchester City (4th)

2017-18

Chelsea qualified for the Champions League by winning the 2016-17 Premier League. Spurs, who were very close of a title, finished second to qualify for Europe. Manchester City and Liverpool qualified as the third and fourth place finishers. 

Meantime, Manchester United, who were sixth in the league qualified after winning the 2016-17 UEFA Europa League. 

• Chelsea (Champions, 1st)
• Tottenham Hotspur (2nd)
• Manchester City (3rd)
• Liverpool (4th)
• Manchester United (6th, qualified via Europa League win)

2018-19

Manchester City's domination in the Premier League started with winning the 2017-18 season, as they entered the Champions League 2018-19 as the champions of England. Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, and Liverpool were the other teams to qualify for Champions League.

Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur played an all-England final where Liverpool defeated Spurs by 2-0 to win the title. 

• Manchester City (Champions, 1st)
• Manchester United (2nd)
• Tottenham Hotspur (3rd)
• Liverpool (4th)

2019-20

After winning the Champions League, Liverpool finished second in the Premier League, just one point behind the champions, Manchester City. Chelsea and Spurs qualified as the third and fourth team from Premier League.

• Manchester City (Champions, 1st)
• Liverpool (2nd)
• Chelsea (3rd)
• Tottenham Hotspur (4th)

2020-21

Liverpool finally broke City's Premier League domination as they lifted 2019-20 Premier League title with 18 points lead over Manchester City, who finished second. Manchester United and Chelsea were the other teams to qualify for the Champions League.

Manchester City and Chelsea played an all-English Champions League in 2021, where Chelsea won their second UCL title. 

• Liverpool (Champions, 1st)
• Manchester City (2nd)
• Manchester United (3rd)
• Chelsea (4th)

2021-22

Manchester City again won the Premier League title to qualify for Europe, with Manchester United finishing second in the league. Liverpool and Chelsea were the other tequalified as the third and fourth teams from the Premier League. 

Liverpool lost the Champions League final against Real Madrid in the 2021-22 season.

• Manchester City (Champions, 1st)
• Manchester United (2nd)
• Liverpool (3rd)
• Chelsea (4th)

2022-23

City defended the Premier League title in the 2021-22 season and entered the Champions League 2022-23, which they eventually won, beating Inter Milan in the final. 

Liverpool, who lost the Premier League race by just one point, qualified alongside Chelsea and Spurs.

• Manchester City (Champions, 1st)
• Liverpool (2nd)
• Chelsea (3rd)
• Tottenham Hotspur (4th)

2023-24

City won their third consecutive Premier League title helped them earn the Champions League spot. Arsenal, Manchester United and Newcastle United qualified for the Champions League 2023-24. 

• Manchester City (Champions, 1st)
• Arsenal (2nd)
• Manchester United (3rd)
• Newcastle United (4th)

2024-25

Back-to-back four Premier League titles for City ensured them another go at the Champions League. Arsenal, Liverpool, and Aston Villa were the other teams from Premier League to qualify for the new format Champions Legaue. 

Arsenal were the only team from the Premier League to play semi-final that season.

• Manchester City (Champions, 1st)
• Arsenal (2nd)
• Liverpool (3rd)
• Aston Villa (4th)

Read Also | Most English Top Flight Titles: Liverpool equal with United

2025-26

A record six teams qualified for the 2025-26 Champions League season from the Premier League. Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea qualified as the top four teams. The EPS allowed an added spot as Newcastle United qualified as the fifth team.

Spurs qualified as the Europa League 2024-25 winners. Chelsea can also become the seventh team to qualify from the Premier League, if they win the UEFA Conference League final against Real Betis on 28th May. 

• Liverpool (Champions, 1st)
• Arsenal (2nd)
• Manchester City (3rd)
• Chelsea (4th)
• Newcastle United (5th)
• Tottenham Hotspur (17th, qualified via Europa League win)

The game between Real Madrid and Real Sociedad was stopped for a few minutes as Luka Modric was substituted in the second half.

Real Madrid players gave him a guard of honour while Toni Kroos and Carlo Ancelotti gave a special hug to Real Madrid's most decorated player ever. 

Read Also | Luka Modric to Depart Real Madrid After Club World Cup, Leaving Legacy as Club Legend

Modric will end his Real Madrid career with the FIFA Club World Cup and, till now, has won 28 trophies for the Los Blancos. 

Along with Modric, it was also Carlo Ancelotti's last home match for Real Madrid, as he will also be leaving Real Madrid at the end of this season. 

Real Madrid CF announced that their captain, Luka Modric, will conclude his illustrious tenure with the club following the Club World Cup, set to begin on June 18 in the United States. The Croatian midfielder, widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the club’s history, will bid farewell after an extraordinary 13-year journey.

Since joining Real Madrid in 2012, Modric has been a cornerstone of one of the most triumphant eras in the club’s storied history.

Over his 13 seasons, he amassed an unparalleled 28 titles, including 6 European Cups, 6 Club World Cups, 5 European Super Cups, 4 LaLiga titles, 2 Copas del Rey, and 5 Spanish Super Cups.

His trophy cabinet makes him the player with the most titles in Real Madrid’s 123-year history, a record shared by only five players in football history who have won six European Cups.

Modric’s individual accolades are equally remarkable. In 2018, he claimed the Ballon d’Or, FIFA The Best Men’s Player, and UEFA Men’s Player of the Year awards.

He has been named to the FIFA FIFPro World XI six times and was recognised as the Champions League Best Midfielder twice. On the pitch for Real Madrid, Modric made 590 appearances, scoring 43 goals, and earned a Golden Ball and Silver Ball at the Club World Cup.

Internationally, Modric is Croatia’s record holder for appearances with 186 caps. His leadership guided Croatia to a runner-up finish at the 2018 World Cup, where he won the Golden Ball, and a third-place finish in 2022, earning the Bronze Ball.

Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez praised Modric’s impact, stating, “Luka Modric will forever remain in the hearts of all madridistas as a unique and exemplary footballer who has always embodied the values of Real Madrid. His football has captured the imagination of Madridismo and fans all over the world. His legacy will live on forever.”

El Clasico refers to a match between two of Spain's biggest teams, FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. The rivalry goes beyond the football field as Madrid, the capital of Spain and Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia's autonomous community, have shared their fair share of political tension over the years. 

Initially, the term was only used for the matches in the domestic Spanish championship, La Liga. Over the years, however, it's been globally recognised for every single meeting, such as in the UEFA Champions League or even domestic cup competitions like the Copa del Rey and Supercopa de España.

With both teams boasting big budgets and reputations that appeal to world-class performers across the planet, their respective ranks have been loaded with match-winners over the years.

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El Clasico: H-2-H breakdown of all statistics!

Here we have for you a breakdown of the games the two giants have played!

Most Appearances in El-Clasico

Former Barcelona captain Sergio Busquets has played 48 El-Clasico games, the most in the rivalry's history. Lionel Messi and Sergio Raoms follow him in the list with 45 El-Clasico games.

Most goals in El-Clasico

Former FC Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has scored the most goals in El-Clasico. Since making his first Clasico appearance in 2005, the Argentine legend has played a joint-record 45 matches against Madrid, scoring 26 goals. This includes two hat-tricks in 2007 and 2014.

Former Real Madrid forwards Alfredo Di Stefano and Cristiano Ronaldo share the second spot with 18 goals each.