Real Madrid v Chelsea predictions: European giants could be tough to separate

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Real Madrid v Chelsea in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie.

Where to watch

BT Sport 2, 8pm Tuesday

Best bet

Draw
1pt 13-5 Betfred

Team news

Real Madrid
Eder Militao is suspended and Eden Hazard (ankle), Isco (back) and Luka Jovic (muscle) are all sidelined through injury.

Chelsea
Romelu Lukaku will not travel to Spain due to an Achilles injury but Cesar Azpilicueta is back after missing the weekend rout of Southampton due to Covid. Callum Hudson-Odoi, Ross Barkley and Ben Chilwell remain out.

Match preview

Chelsea's dip in form following the international break does not appear to have lasted long after they got back to winning ways with a 6-0 mauling of Southampton on Saturday.

The Blues will be hoping that their seaside stroll will be the boost they need to continue their Champions League title defence, but they have it all to do in their quarter-final tie with Real Madrid after Karim Benzema's hat-trick condemned them to a 3-1 first-leg defeat at Stamford Bridge last week.

That followed an alarming 4-1 loss at home to Brentford but the performance at Southampton was much more like it. The Blues had established a 4-0 lead by half-time at St Mary's and seemed to have their mojo back, which bodes well for Tuesday's trip to Madrid.

It is a big ask for Thomas Tuchel's men to overturn a two-goal deficit against a Madrid side on a run of eight wins in nine matches but that does not mean they cannot at least match Los Blancos on the night.

Even with Romelu Lukaku sidelined, Chelsea are a dangerous outfit, having netted 64 goals in 30 matches in the Premier League this season, and they clearly have little to lose given the position they are in after the first leg.

The visitors are also boosted by the fact Real will be without crucial defender Eder Militao, who is suspended.

Madrid managed to see out the last half hour or so of the first leg without Militao, who had gone off injured, but the Brazilian has missed only two matches in La Liga this season.

He and David Alaba have formed the bedrock of the team this season, helping Real to ship only 26 goals in 31 matches in La Liga, and Militao's absence could be unsettling to Real's defence.

That said, they also have an attacking jewel themselves in Karim Benzema, who took his tally of goals in this season's Champions League to 11 with his three strikes in the first leg.

The Frenchman revels in the big occasion and also buried a hat-trick against Paris Saint-Germain in Real's comeback win in the second leg of their last-16 clash.

With the exciting Vinicius Junior also in their ranks, Real should cause Chelsea plenty of problems and punters could be treated to a match in which two barnstorming attacks cancel one another out.

If both sides are at full throttle, a draw on the night looks a decent proposition at 13-5.

Key stat

No side in the Premier League top six have recorded more league draws than Chelsea (eight) this season.

Inside info

Real Madrid

Penalty taker Karim Benzema
Free-kick wizard Toni Kroos
Set-piece aerial threat Karim Benzema
Card magnet Vinicius Junior

Chelsea

Penalty taker Kai Havertz/Jorginho
Free-kick wizardMason Mount
Set-piece aerial threatAntonio Rudiger
Card magnetJorginho

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