3 biggest keys to victory for Real Madrid vs. Chelsea in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals

Champions League football is back and we now reach the Quarter-Finals of the competition. Whilst Bayern Munich vs Manchester United seems like the most intense tie of the round, many football admirers will also love to keep an eye on Real Madrid vs Chelsea given the history of their head-to-head battle.

Real Madrid will yet again be the favourites to advance given the competition’s history and Chelsea’s poor form, but it won’t be easy for the defending champions.

Here are some of the keys for Real Madrid in order to advance to the next round of the competition.

Gaining control in the midfield
Most of the games won by a team is because of how the team controls the flow of the game. While counter-attacking football is a new modern-day technique to win games, the most satisfying wins are the ones that come with the winning team controlling the tempo of the game.

Real Madrid is known for controlling the games and Carlo Ancelotti’s men will have the full focus on keeping Chelsea on the back foot.

Looking at the current season, one can say that Real Madrid has created the most from the midfield. A little one-two and a final pass to Vinícius Júnior or Karim Benzema to put the ball in the back of the net.

Toni Kroos and Luka Modrić- the masterminds of Real Madrid’s play will be looking forward to playing the ball around and producing opportunities to break through.

However, Chelsea knows how lethal Real Madrid can be if they allow Luka Modric and Toni Kroos to keep the possession, and hence will rely on N’Golo Kanté to step up. The Frenchman has returned back from a long-term injury in full form and will have the duty to pressurize the duo.

It was the 2020/21 season when Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea knocked Real Madrid out of the European Competition with N’Golo Kanté emerging as one of the standouts that season. With players like Enzo Fernández, Mateo Kovačić, and Conor Gallagher, Chelsea will have an energetic midfield that can be a problem for Luka Modrić and Toni Kroos.

It will be an interesting battle to see in the midfield and it seems like the one winning that battle will certainly come out as the winner in the first leg of the double-legged fixture.

No mistakes in defense
The defence has been the biggest problem for Real Madrid this season. Even though the defence is much better post-World Cup, Los Blancos is still not at the level the club is expected to be at. In the past, we have seen problems created by the defence itself, with communication being the biggest.

When you reach this ahead in a competition, every mistake carries weight. You have to stay focused and you cannot afford to keep any loose ends. The competition intensifies and the stakes are high.

It will be a task for the backline to hold off Chelsea. With players like João Félix, Raheem Sterling, and the in-form Kai Havertz, Real Madrid cannot afford any mistakes.

Dani Carvajal will have to be absolutely spot on to mark runs of João Félix or Mykhaylo Mudryk with the most chance of Chelsea targeting Real Madrid’s right flank. Éder Militão and David Alaba will have to tightly mark Kai Havertz, whose aerial presence will be very threatening, and with full-backs like Ben Chilwell, Marc Cucurella, and Reece James, one can expect dangerous crosses into the box. And not to mention, Eduardo Camavinga or Nacho Fernández will have to put in a shift to stop Raheem Sterling.

A stable defence will be key to motivating Luka Modric and Toni Kroos to take the game forward and win it for the fans.

The right flank should be kept in full check
Ever since the downfall of Gareth Bale, Real Madrid’s right flank has been the area holding the club back. All the pressure is upon the left flank to produce results.

Last season’s Federico Valverde seemed like a solution to the problem, but it has not worked for Carlo Ancelotti this year. Marco Asensio and Rodrygo Goes have also been given chances in that position, but it has not looked very bright for the team.

With Ben Chilwell and João Félix as the most likely starting pair on Chelsea’s left flank, Real Madrid will have to be extra careful on the right. Dani Carvajal has been very inconsistent this season and with no other reliable right back, it seems like the fans will have to provide full support to the Spanish full-back to play the game of his career.

Last season we saw Carvajal with some outstanding displays near the end of the season, and Carlo Ancelotti will be looking forward to getting similar displays from him. How the right winger supports Carvajal will be vital. Ben Chilwell will be playing a pretty advanced role too. Be it Fede Valverde, Marco Asensio or Rodrygo, the winger will have to drop back to defend.

João Félix has a history of rivalry with Real Madrid from his old days at Atletico Madrid and he will be highly motivated to destroy Real Madrid’s dreams of advancing in the competition.

It will be crucial to see how Real Madrid plays on the right flank and it might be a deciding factor in the overall fixture.