In looking at how Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel could set up his team on Wednesday night against Real Madrid, we already know a few first team names that we’ll see on the sheet. The 2-0 weekend win over Fulham saw chance for Cesar Azpilicueta, Jorginho, N’Golo Kante and Christian Pulisic to rest.
They’ll come back into the team here, as the Blues look to finish at a much higher level than they did last week. Mason Mount, whom Tuchel says has the “full package,” is basically undroppable at this point. He was a major hero in the last round of this tournament.
Chelsea vs Real Madrid UCL Semis (Tie even at 1-1) FYIs
Kick-off Time: 8:30 PM GMT, 5 May (Wednesday)
Starting XI Predictions: Chelsea Real Madrid
Team News: Chelsea Real Madrid
4 Players to watch in the UCL semis: go here
Form Guide All Competitions: Real Madrid DWDDW Chelsea WDWDW
TV in USA: CBS Sports Network
Odds: Chelsea 6/5 Draw 9/4 Real Madrid 5/2
Then you have a few more regulars who you know will be in the first team. The questions are in attack- will Kai Havertz, who bagged a Brace on Saturday replace the misfiring Timo Werner? Will Tuchel go with an out and out striker in this one? Or adopt a different attacking strategy instead?
It might hinge on Madrid skipper Sergo Ramos returning and how Chelsea adjusts to it.
“If we play with no striker at all and Ramos has nothing to fight then that can also be a solution,” Tuchel continued.
“I have not made my mind up yet. It’s another challenge because he is the leader of their group and he is the guy to give a lot of solutions to any questions that we will hopefully ask them.”
Chelsea FC Starting XI Prediction vs Real Madrid (UCL Semis)
Mendy; Azpilicueta, Zouma, Rudiger; Christensen, Jorginho, Kante, Chilwell; Mount, Pulisic; Havertz
Chelsea 2, Real Madrid 1
Expect Tuchel to have the right gameplan enacted here to seal the deal.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and SB Nation. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.