The most high-profile matchup of this year’s Champions League quarterfinals pits defending European champions Chelsea against runaway La Liga leaders Real Madrid. Both these teams are clearly contenders for the tournament title, but they are also both flawed sides, making this matchup all the more entertaining.
Real Madrid followed up its emphatic Round of 16 win over PSG with a complete flop in league play against rivals Barcelona, a game which exposed Madrid’s own tactical frailties. The road win over Celta Vigo on Saturday did not help dispel concerns given it came on the back of three penalty kicks called in Real’s favor.
The Blues, meanwhile, were bopped by Christian Eriksen and Brentford over the weekend, a match in which Ruben Loftus-Cheek failed to fill in adequately for Jorginho in midfield. The 4-1 final scoreline was a red flag, especially given the four goals conceded at home by a Chelsea team that prides itself on airtight defending.
Chelsea vs Real Madrid team news
Chelsea (3-4-3) Mendy; Christensen, Thiago Silva, Rudiger; James, Kante, Jorginho, Azpilicueta; Pulisic, Havertz, Mount.
Real Madrid (possible 4-3-3) Courtois; Carvajal, Eder Militao, Alaba, Mendy; Modric, Casemiro, Kroos; Valverde, Benzema, Vinicius Jr.
Chelsea vs Real Madrid TV channel
BT Sport will show the match in the UK, with CBS and Paramount+ having coverage in the US. The game kicks off at 8pm BST / 3pm ET / 12pm PT.
Team News
Chelsea do not have too many injuries, but Ben Chillwell and Callum Hudson-Odoi are both unavailable due to long term injury problems. Real Madrid are without Eden Hazard, Luka Jovic and Isco for this quarter-final tie.
Predicted Chelsea XI: Mendy; Azpilicueta, Silva, Rudiger; James, Jorginho, Kovacic, Alonso; Mount, Pulisic; Havertz.
Predicted Real Madrid XI: Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Alaba, Mendy; Modric, Casemiro, Kroos; Asensio, Benzema, Vinicius.
Chelsea vs. Real Madrid
Date: Wednesday, April 6 | Time: 3 p.m. ET | Live stream: CBS and Paramount+
Location: Stamford Bridge — London, United Kingdom
Commentators: Clive Tyldesley and Rob Green (Sideline reporter: Jules Breach)
Odds: Chelsea +108; Draw +225; Real +280 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Paramount+ includes exclusive original programs such as Evil, Star Trek Discovery, Star Trek Picard, The Good Fight, and The Stand, as well as movies including A Quiet Place Part II, Infinite and more. You can also stream CBSN (CBS News), CBS Sports HQ and ET Live, as well as — with the Premium Plan — your local CBS network.
Advantages of Paramount+ include (1) More than 10,000 episodes of CBS content, (2) more than 2,000 soccer games a season, and (3) will stream every UEFA Champions League game through 2024.
Paramount+ also includes plenty of other soccer games from the Europa League, Conference League, Serie A, NWSL, Argentine league, Concacaf Nations League, away World Cup qualifiers for the US men and women’s national teams plus action from the Brazilian league, Asian Champions League and much more.