CONFIRMED: Full Chelsea squad available to face Real Madrid tonight
Chelsea will be looking to progress to the final of the UEFA Champions League for the first time since 2012 and book a date with Manchester City when they face Real Madrid in the second-leg of their semi-final showdown this evening, kick-off 8:00pm.
The Blues, who bolstered their prospects of finishing inside the top-four in the Premier League this season with a 2-0 win over west London rivals Fulham on Saturday, know that a clean-sheet this evening would be enough to get the job done, after the first-leg ended 1-1 in Spain last week.
A draw at the Alfredo Di Stefano Stadium ensured Chelsea enter tonight’s clash in the driving seat after Christian Pulisic netted a massive away goal. However, a momentary lapse of concentration could cost the Blues dearly after Karim Benzema’s stunning hit ensured Madrid got themselves back in the tie.
But although Chelsea do enter the contest with an away-goal to their name, head coach Thomas Tuchel insists it is all to play for.
“It is important, it’s a semi-final, the pressure’s on, it’s a knockout game,” Tuchel said during his pre-match press conference.
“It’s the second-leg, the decisive one, so to arrive with a certain level of belief and self-confidence is absolutely necessary. Otherwise we have no chance against a team like Real Madrid.
“It does not help so much if your coach is talking about it, we need to really feel it.
“If I talk about it it’s only because I’m sure they feel it, and we can see it in the games, that the team is self-aware and able to produce performances, then they are also aware of the challenge ahead of us.
Below are the Full Chelsea squad available to face Real Madrid:
Goalkeepers: Kepa Arrizabalaga, Willy Caballero & Edouard Mendy.
Defenders: Reece James, Cesar Azpilicueta, Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen, Thiago Silva, Kurt Zouma, Ben Chilwell, Marcos Alonso & Emerson.
Midfielders: Callum Hudson-Odoi, Hakim Ziyech, Christian Pulisic, N’Golo Kante, Billy Gilmour, Mason Mount, Kai Havertz, Faustino Anjorin & Jorginho.
Strikers: Tammy Abraham, Timo Werner & Olivier Giroud.