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Former Chelsea defender Gary Cahill has named two players who will play a crucial role for the Blues in their return leg against Real Madrid in the Champions League quarterfinals.
Chelsea are trailing 2-0 in the knockout tie and will welcome Los Blancos to Stamford Bridge for the second leg on Tuesday, April 18.
Cahill believes defender Thiago Silva and midfielder Mateo Kovacic will be crucial for Frank Lampard's side in the upcoming Champions League encounter. He feels the first goal of the match will go a long way in deciding the outcome of the tie.
“The tie is set up. To come away with the sending off and 2-0, the first goal is key and it’ll be electric in the stadium. It’s been done before so could be a great game. Managing the game is key – Thiago Silva, Mateo Kovacic, these kinds of players will know how to manage different moments of the match – but it’s all about the first goal,” Cahill said (via The Independent).
Lampard was appointed Chelsea's caretaker manager following Graham Potter's sacking. The Blues have lost all three of their matches so far under the Englishman in his second stint with the club.
They will want to register their first win under the former midfielder and hope to overturn the two-goal deficit at home.
Karim Benzema and Marco Asensio's goals gave Real Madrid a crucial first-leg win over Chelsea
The first leg of the Chelsea vs Real Madrid Champions League quarterfinal encounter was played at the Santiago Bernabeu and the home side came out on top.
Karim Benzema opened the scoring in the 21st minute for Los Blancos, who went into half-time with a slender lead. However, full-back Ben Chilwell was sent off for a foul on Rodrygo in the 59th minute, which made things a lot more difficult for the west London side.
They couldn't prevent Real Madrid from doubling their advantage as a long-range strike from Asensio saw Carlo Ancelotti's men gain a two-goal advantage in the tie.
It remains to be seen how the second leg will pan out.
