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It's all to play for as Real Madrid take on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge tonight in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final tie.
Zinedine Zidane had remarked in mid-April that it had been a strange season for Real Madrid. Since that comment, things have been even more complicated as Real picked up their 55th injury of the season after Raphael Varane was forced off against Osasuna last weekend.
Nevertheless, these players have huffed and puffed throughout the season, and can receive their just rewards as they remain in contention for the double of La Liga and the Champions League.
Chelsea came back with an invaluable away goal from the first leg at Madrid. However, Zinedine Zidane's men cannot be taken lightly as they are very familiar with the occasion and seemingly comfortable even with the odds stacked against them.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five reasons why Real Madrid could beat Chelsea tonight.
#5 Real Madrid have come up trumps against the big sides and Chelsea should be no different
It has been a season where we have seen Real Madrid do the incredible while also managing to be underwhelming on occasion. They have been beaten by the likes of Levante, Alcoyano, Cadiz and Elche, but have produced results against big teams.
Real Madrid did the league double over Barcelona this term. They beat Inter Milan twice in the group stage of the Champions League. They have also emerged victorious over the likes of Atletico Madrid, Sevilla and Liverpool, playing some spectacular football in the quarter-final home leg against the Merseysiders.
Chelsea's biggest triumph of the season came against Atletico Madrid. If Real Madrid can get their focus right like they so often do against the big teams, they can give Chelsea a run for their money.
#4 Real Madrid have willed their way back into games throughout the season
Real Madrid have won a game or rescued a point in the closing stages of a game on numerous occasions this season. They rescued a valuable point against Atletico Madrid in the derby with an 88th minute equalizer almost a week after they had done the exact same thing against Real Sociedad.
A week after the Madrid derby, Los Blancos capped off a comeback win against Elche with a winner in the 91st minute. In the group stages of the UEFA Champions League, Real Madrid got a valuable draw against Borussia Monchengladbach after being 2-0 down till the 87th minute.
They beat Atalanta in the first-leg of their Round of 16 tie, thanks to an 86th minute goal by Ferland Mendy. The point is not that Real Madrid do a lot of goalscoring in the final minutes of the game but that under Zinedine Zidane, they have a habit of finding a way.
Chelsea will need to dig deep as even a moment's lapse in concentration could cost them dearly against a side that never gives up until the very end.
#3 Toni Kroos and Luka Modric are well-rested for Real Madrid for the second leg against Chelsea
Chelsea were able to stifle Real Madrid and not let them hit their stride in the first leg thanks to the doggedness shown by the likes of Kante, Mason Mount and Kai Havertz in midfield. The ageing Real Madrid midfield found it difficult against the tenacity shown by their Chelsea counterparts.
An important thing to note here is that Luka Modric had played 77 minutes against Real Betis, just three days before the first-leg against Chelsea. Meanwhile, Toni Kroos returned to the team for the game against Chelsea after missing three of the previous matches due to muscular discomfort.
For the second leg, however, both Kroos and Luka Modric are well-rested. Neither of them featured in Real Madrid's 2-0 win over Osasuna this past Sunday and as such, Chelsea will find it tougher to dominate the midfield battle.
#2 Sergio Ramos, Fede Valverde and Ferland Mendy are back
With Dani Carvajal ruled out for the rest of the season and Raphael Varane coming off injured against Osasuna at the weekend, things were looking rather bleak for Real Madrid. But they have been boosted by the return of three top individuals.
Sergio Ramos is fully fit once again as is Ferland Mendy. Both players missed the first leg and the latter's replacement, Marcelo, struggled to keep up with the pace of the game. With the ever-reliable Sergio Ramos at centre-back and the enterprising Ferland Mendy playing on the left wing, Real Madrid will be a different proposition altogether.
Federico Valverde has recovered from the coronavirus and will be a great option off the bench. Real Madrid have enough quality personnel to ensure their intensity does not drop off during the game.
#1 Real Madrid's away form
The Real Madrid forwards have their work cut out for them against a resolute Chelsea backline. This match could end up being a cagey affair due to two reasons.
Chelsea have been solid defensively and all five of the goals they've conceded at home in the Premier League under Thomas Tuchel came in a single game against West Bromwich Albion. To be fair, all those goals came after the Blues were reduced to 10-men.
The other goal conceded at Stamford Bridge under Tuchel's management came in the Champions League quarter-finals against Porto.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid are undefeated in their last nine away games. They have also conceded just two goals in their last seven matches on the road. Beating Real Madrid at home could prove to be one of their toughest tests yet, especially given how much more familiar Zidane's men are with this stage of the competition.
