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N’Golo Kante and Thiago Silva have both been thrust into Frank Lampard’s starting XI as the Chelsea interim manager bids to stun Champions League holders Real Madrid in just his second match in charge.
Lampard’s Chelsea are overwhelming underdogs for their Champions League quarterfinal with Real Madrid but the presence of two European champions in his squad, both of whom were standout performers when Chelsea won the competition in 2021, might make the Blues’ task that much more palatable. Silva has been sidelined since February after damaging his ankle ligaments against Tottenham, he is set to anchor a three man defense that will include Wesley Fofana and Kalidou Koulibaly. Further forward Kante starts from the off after being rested for Saturday’s defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers.
It is just his second start since returning from an injury that sidelined him from August onwards and extends a curious streak for the Frenchman. Each of his last four appearances in Chelsea colours have been under different managers: playing for Thomas Tuchel in August before playing his first minutes for Graham Potter in the head coach’s final game in charge against Aston Villa. Kante excelled for caretaker Bruno Saltor in a 0-0 draw with Liverpool and now starts the second match of Lampard’s second tenure at Chelsea.
The visitors appear to have lined up in a cautious 3-5-2, with Joao Felix and Raheem Sterling to lead the line on their own. Cesar Azpilicueta is on the bench for Chelsea and could get his first minutes since suffering a serious head injury against Southampton in February.
Carlo Ancelotti, meanwhile, has entrusted Rodrygo from the outset in an attack-minded Real Madrid side that will look to take the game to Chelsea in the first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Edouard Camavinga is the preferred option at left back in the absence of Ferland Mendy whilst Federico Valverde is preferred to Aurelien Tchouameni alongside Toni Kroos and Luka Modric in Real Madrid’s engine room. There is no start for former Chelsea center back Antonio Rudiger, who left Stamford Bridge this summer for the Spanish capital, whilst fellow former Blue Eden Hazard does not make the XI.
Ancelotti’s side bears five changes from the side that lost 3-2 to Villarreal at the weekend but is the same as the team that beat Barcelona 4-0 in last week’s Copa del Rey semifinal second leg, a decision that the Italian had intimated he would take in the build up to the match.
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“It’s important to think first that it’s a 180-minute game and try to play well [Wednesday]” said the Real Madrid head coach. “This game is not decisive but it could give us an advantage to take into the second leg. The team is feeling good, optimistic and motivated to play in Champions League again and see another magical night at the Bernabeu. It’s a different way of thinking to the other Champions League ties we’ve played in the past. We must take advantage of playing the first game at home to get ahead for the decider.
“We will look to play a well-rounded game, defend well, better than against Villarreal on Saturday, and attack if possible like we did at the Camp Nou in the second leg of the cup semifinal.”
Lineups
Real Madrid: Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Alaba, Camavinga; Valverde, Modric, Kroos; Rodrygo, Benzema, Vinicius Jr.
Chelsea: Kepa; Fofana, Silva, Koulibaly; James, Kante, Fernandez, Kovacic, Chilwell; Felix, Sterling
