Real Madrid seeks to take another step in the renewal of its European crown today in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinal against Chelsea, a confrontation that has become a ‘classic’ of the competition for the third consecutive year.
In the 2020/2021 season, Chelsea, ultimately champion, beat the madridistas in the semifinals.
Last year, the white team took revenge in the quarterfinals against what was presented as the defender of the European crown.
The meringues won 3-1 in London with a hat-trick by Karim Benzema, but in the second leg at the Bernabéu, Chelsea managed to come back and caressed the pass for a moment, until Rodrygo appeared to send the game into extra time.
In added time, Benzema scored again to put Real Madrid in the semifinals, who would end up lifting the European crown, which they want to keep, especially after becoming the main objective of the Merengue season.
With the League practically impossible, relegated to 13 points behind leader Barcelona, with 15 games to go, the Champions League and the Copa del Rey, whose final will be played by Real Madrid on May 6 against Osasuna, become the way to save the campaign white.
The European tie is also a maximum goal for Chelsea, who, with no chances in their league (starting in 11th position) and eliminated from the rest of the competitions, only have the continental tournament so as not to be left blank.
The English team also arrives at the Bernabéu shaken by the latest changes on the bench at Stamford Bridge with the departure of coach Graham Potter and his replacement until the end of the season by the legend of the blue team Frank Lampard.
The merengue team looks towards its captain and striker Karim Benzema, author of six goals in the last three matches for Real Madrid, after endorsing a hat-trick against Valladolid in the League and against Barcelona in the second leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals.
The Frenchman is still in good company with his Brazilian squire Vinicius, forming an offensive pairing that Alaba considers the best in the world.
Benzema and Vinicius will face off against the Portuguese striker Joao Felix, who returns to the Bernabéu for the first time in the blue jersey.
The Portuguese will face the Merengue team for the seventh time, which he has not yet managed to win in any of the previous six times with the Atlético de Madrid shirt.
It will be the opportunity for the Portuguese to make amends in a match that both Real Madrid and Chelsea come wanting to show themselves after losing their respective league matches last weekend.
On the other hand, the Milan fireball, Rafael Leao, against the Napoli dribbler Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. The 100% Italian Champions League quarterfinal tie kicks off at the San Siro with the great attraction of seeing the two most seductive attackers in Serie A face to face.
The 23-year-old Portuguese international came out of this match with sky-high morale after two and a half months without scoring, wearing the No. 77 shirt of Kvaratskhelia, the left winger of Napoli, 22, who has marveled Eastern European football course.
The Georgian has been the perfect complement to the powerful Victor Osimhen, who is out for today’s game in Milan due to an adductor problem. Neither will be the other 9 of Luciano Spalletti’s squad, Giovanni Simeone, touched on one thigh.
Totally unknown when he joined Napoli last preseason from Dinamo Batumi, ‘Kvara’ quickly made captain Lorenzo Insigne forget, who emigrated to Canada. He put the Diego Maradona stadium in his pocket thanks to his technique, dribbling and endless energy.
In Serie A, Naples is practically champion -16 points with the second, Lazio- and Milan is fourth, fighting for the Champions League. Meanwhile, both cross paths in Europe, the most luxurious theater in which they can exhibit their two figures.