In the second leg of the UEFA Europa League round of eight, a deeply troubled Chelsea will battle with a strong Real Madrid at home. Trailing 0-2 in the first leg, the team is at a low ebb, and with this being their only goal for the rest of the season, they will launch a frantic attack at home in a bid to create a miracle. Despite Real Madrid's strength, they tend to be slow on the road in the Europa League, often making mistakes and losing points early on, so Chelsea may be in for a surprise if they can capitalize on the "first team to score" opportunity. (Now 643 Wednesday 3:00 am live)
Chelsea's squad and coaching lineup have changed frequently this season, but the situation is deteriorating. The team has suffered three consecutive defeats since Lambert returned as coach, and the chances of qualifying for next season's European competition have become quite slim. This is the only "meaningful" game left for the team, and no matter how difficult it is to qualify, the stars of the team will give it their all.
Lambert has made positive adjustments since he took over, adopting a 4-back formation with the intention of strengthening the offense, and playing a more direct and concise style in front of him. Utilizing the speed of players such as Medillieu, Staanen, and Zuofelix to create goal scoring chances, the team has finally broken the goal drought despite the loss against Brighton in the last league match, which helps to boost the team's confidence in attacking.
Real Madrid, with a two-goal advantage, may be relatively conservative in their mentality. In their Europa League away games, they often make early mistakes, such as conceding two goals in the opening 14 minutes against Liverpool in the round of 16, and in the group stage against RB Leipzig, where they were also blown away by two goals in the first 20 minutes, before eventually winning 3-2 in a come-from-behind victory. In their last three away games in the Europa League, they have conceded in the opening period in all of their matches, so Chelsea will be looking to take the lead in this match.
