Chelsea visit the Santiago Bernabeu this evening with the unenviable task of overturning a 3-1 deficit against Real Madrid. With the team news now out, we know how Thomas Tuchel will seek to do so.
Carlo Ancelotti has named the team many expected him to, with few changes from the first leg. Real Madrid are without Eder Militao after the Brazilian picked up a booking in the first leg, leading to a suspension. Nacho Fernandez replaces him at centre-back, while Ferland Mendy has recovered from a muscle strain to start again. Fede Valverde also continues as an auxiliary midfielder-forward.
?? ¡Nuestro ?? inicial ? @ChelseaFC_Sp! @UnicajaBanco | #UCL pic.twitter.com/SmLRzWOSjN
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) April 12, 2022
Your Blues in Madrid… ?#UCL pic.twitter.com/IkiXyEw95z
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) April 12, 2022
Thomas Tuchel has sprung a surprise by starting Timo Werner. Despite scoring twice against Southampton at the weekend, the German striker was still left frustrated in the knowledge it could have been more.
Some had also slated Reece James for the bench, but he begins again with Marcos Alonso on the left side. Mateo Kovacic has also replaced Jorginho from the first leg, but the perhaps the biggest surprise is the inclusion of Ruben Loftus-Cheek. Seemingly Tuchel has opted for four at the back in order to include an extra midfielder.