Real Madrid and Chelsea meet in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final in a game that pits the last two winners of the competition against one another for a third straight season.
On their way to a 14th title, Real knocked off Chelsea in last season’s quarter-final while the year prior, the Blues turned over the record holders at the semi-final stage. However, both of these ties came with Thomas Tuchel at the helm, and so much has changed at Stamford Bridge since.
Frank Lampard is back in charge on an interim basis after the Graham Potter experiment was packed in, despite his win over Borussia Dortmund in the last 16. He’ll come up against one of his many former Chelsea managers in the shape of Carlo Ancelotti, who will be aiming to win a record fifth title as a manager. Having comfortably put away Liverpool, he will fancy his chances against his old employers.
With so much on the line and plenty of history between the clubs, we have all the key details about the big match.
When do Real Madrid play Chelsea?
The match takes place on Tuesday 12th April with a kick-off time of 8pm (UK time).
Where will Real Madrid vs Chelsea be played?
The match will be played at the Bernabeu Stadium, where Chelsea won last season 3-2 but still went out.
Is Real Madrid vs Chelsea on TV?
Yes, the match will be shown live on BT Sport 1, with coverage starting at 7pm (UK Time).
For Sky viewers, which is channel 414 and for Virgin viewers, it’s channel 527.
Can Real Madrid vs Chelsea be streamed?
Yes, with the match on BT, it will also be available to watch on both Sky Go and the BT Player.
Real Madrid vs Chelsea history
Chelsea are one of very few clubs to have a better head to head record against Real. They have won four and lost just one of the seven meetings between the clubs. The two other games ended in draws, via 11v11.
The clubs first met in the old UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup final in 1971, where Chelsea shocked the kings of European football to win their first ever European trophy. It did take them two games to do so, after Real scored a last-minute equaliser to bring the first game to extra time and for some reasons, penalties were not utilised to decide a winner on the night. Not that it hugely mattered as they ran out 2-1 winners in the replay just two days later.
27 years later, the clubs met again in the Super Cup after Real had won their first European Cup in over 30 years and Chelsea had claimed a second Cup Winners’ Cup. A Gus Poyet goal with just seven minutes to play sealed the win for the Blues on another famous night against Real.
Their last four meetings have taken place in the last two season, as referenced in the introduction, with Chelsea relatively comfortably defeating Real in 2021, a 3-1 win over two legs putting them into an all-English final with Manchester City, which they duly won.
Real gained revenge last season at the quarter-finals stage, a Karim Benzema-inspired 3-1 first-leg win at Stamford Bridge doing most of the damage. Chelsea made an incredible effort in the second leg, at one stage going 3-0 up on the night and 4-3 on aggregate, but ultimately Real prevailed in the second of three surreal ties for them.
As well as a rich history of games between the clubs, numerous high-profile players have played for both clubs, including current Real players Thibaut Courtois and Toni Rudiger, the latter of whom only moved to Madrid last summer. Chelsea icon Eden Hazard is also a member of the Real squad, but one would be quick to forget he’s still there such has been his decline.
On the other side, Mateo Kovacic previously played for Real before a loan and then-permanent move to Chelsea, where he has become the key player he was not at the Bernabeu.
Away from these four, Claude Makelele, Nicolas Anelka, Alvaro Morata, Gonzalo Higuian, Arjen Robben, Ricardo Carvalho, Michael Essien and Samuel Eto’o have worn the colours of both clubs to differing degrees of success.
The links don’t stop there as several big-name managers have also been in the dugout at the Bernabeu and the Bridge, Jose Mourinho, Rafael Benitez, Guus Hiddink and current Real boss Carlo Ancelotti being the famous four.
All Meetings
12th April 2022: Real Madrid 2-3 Chelsea – Champions League quarter-final second leg
6th April 2022: Chelsea 1-3 Real Madrid – Champions League quarter-final first leg
5th May 2021: Chelsea 2-0 Real Madrid – Champions League semi-final second leg
27th April 2021: Real Madrid 1-1 Chelsea – Champions League semi-final first leg
28th August 1998: Chelsea 1-0 Real Madrid – UEFA Super Cup
21st May 1971: Real Madrid 1-2 Chelsea – UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup Final replay
19th May 1971: Real Madrid 1-1 Chelsea – UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup Final
Real Madrid vs Chelsea Team News
Carlo Ancelotti has a near-full squad to pick from with only Ferland Mendy being absent for the first leg, via Transfermarkt.
On the other hand, Frank Lampard has several injury concerns, as well as ineligible players, namely Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Benoit Badiashile, Noni Madueke and David Fofana.
Mason Mount and Thiago Silva are both back in training, but the England midfielder is the more likely to be involved given the length of the Brazil defender’s absence, via Transfermarkt.
Predicted Lineups
Real Madrid Predicted Starting XI: Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Rudiger, Alaba; Camavinga, Modric, Kroos; Valverde, Vinicius Jr., Benzema
Chelsea Predicted Starting XI: Kepa; James, Koulibaily, Fofana, Chilwell; Kante, Kovacic, Fernandez, Mount, Felix, Havertz
Match prediction
Real Madrid 3-1 Chelsea: It seems highly improbable that Frank Lampard will be able to produce instant results at Chelsea and Real should just have too much for them.
The Champions League
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