For the third consecutive season, Real Madrid vs Chelsea, facing off in the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League. And like all good trilogies, the sides go into this tie level.

Match Details:

• Location: Madrid, Spain
• Stadium: Santiago Bernabeu
• Date: Wednesday 12 April
• Kick-off Time: 20:00 BST / 15:00 ET / 12:00 PT
• Referee: François Letexier (FRA)
• VAR: Tomasz Kwiatkowski (POL)

Real Madrid vs Chelsea: Match Preview:

Both teams have won the European title in the recent past and will be looking to secure an early advantage in the first leg and inch closer to booking their place in the semi-finals.

Los Blancos, who have won the Champions League a record 14 times, will be eager to add to their tally and secure their place in the semi-finals. Manager Carlo Ancelotti, who has won the competition four times with AC Milan and Real Madrid, will be looking to guide his side to victory over Chelsea in their quarter-final tie.

⚪⚪ 🆚 🔵🔵
✨ #UCL pic.twitter.com/WxJWNIG4Ko

— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) April 11, 2023

Real Madrid are currently second in La Liga. But the league title race seems to be over as they are 13 points behind the league leaders Barcelona. Ancelotti's men are heading into this fixture on the back of a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Villarreal. They will be eager to bounce back with a win in the first leg.

Real Madrid have their eyes set on the Champions League title. And, they have an impressive home record in the competition, having won their last five matches at the Santiago Bernabeu. However, it won't be that easy a task given the quality of their opposition.

Meanwhile, visitors Chelsea, who won the Champions League in 2021, will be hoping to repeat their success and reach the semi-finals of the competition. The Blues have had a disappointing season so far. But winning the UCL can surely help them end it on a high.

The Blues will be looking to build on their recent 2-1 win on aggregate over Borussia Dortmund. The return of N'Golo Kante from injury will be a major boost for the visitors as they head into this encounter. They are heading into this encounter on the back of a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Wolves under the leadership of caretaker manager Frank Lampard.

Travelling to Madrid with Enzo! 🇪🇸✈️#UCL pic.twitter.com/ZdLUJlfeOW

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) April 11, 2023

Chelsea will need to be at their best to overcome a formidable Real Madrid side. But they will be confident of causing an upset. The last encounter between the two teams was in the quarter-finals last season. The Blues managed to win 3-2 at the Bernabeu, but Real Madrid ended up progressing to the semi-finals with a 5-3 aggregate scoreline, ending the Blues' hopes of defending their Champions League title.

Team News:

Real Madrid:

Left-back Ferland Mendy remains Real's only injury absentee but, as the team's only natural player in his position, Carlo Ancelotti has had to get a little creative with his replacements. Midfielder Eduardo Camavinga or centre-back Nacho Fernandez would be the leading contenders.

🤩 Come for the goal… stay for the celebration!
😎 @ViniJr
🌱#RMCity | #UCL

🎥 INSIDE TRAINING 🆕

— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) April 11, 2023

Camavinga was among the names rested during the 3-2 loss to Villarreal, with the likes of Toni Kroos and Luka Modric expected to return to the starting lineup as well.

Chelsea:

N'Golo Kante was left out of the squad for the defeat to Wolves as Frank Lampard confessed the Frenchman's fitness is being managed. In other words, this fixture took priority, and Kante should start here.

We're LIVE from the Santiago Bernabeu as Frank Lampard and Enzo Fernandez preview Real Madrid! #UCL https://t.co/JOFZ6PZDHd

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) April 11, 2023

Mason Mount has served a European suspension but could miss out through injury, having aggravated his abdominal issue during training before Wolves game, although he was back in training on Monday.

Thiago Silva is also back in training but may not be risked just yet, while Cesar Azpilicueta is still recovering from his nasty head injury. Benoit Badiashile, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Noni Madueke and David Datro Fofana are all out of the squad.

Real Madrid vs Chelsea: Head to Head:

Real Madrid and Chelsea are facing each other in the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League for the third consecutive season – the two teams have emerged victorious on one occasion each.

Chelsea have lost only one of their seven matches against Real Madrid in Europe – the lowest loss percentage of any team that has faced Los Blancos at least five times.

Predicted Line-ups:

Real Madrid predicted lineup (4-3-3): Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Alaba, Nacho; Kroos, Modric, Camavinga; Valverde, Benzema, Vinicius

Chelsea predicted lineup (4-3-3): Kepa; James, Fofana, Koulibaly, Chilwell; Kovacic, Fernandez, Kante; Sterling, Havertz, Felix

RMA vs CHE: Fantasy XI

Courtois, James,Militao, Alaba,Chilwell, Kroos, Modric, Fernandez, Benzema, Vinicius, Felix

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.

Read Also | Top 10 La Masia Graduates who ruled football

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.