Chelsea will play Real Madrid in their first leg of the quarter-finals in the UEFA Champions League for the 2021/22 season. The Blues are looking to overcome any obstacle that comes their way to win back-to-back titles. Thomas Tuchel has experimented a lot with his team this season. He has a lot of quality players with him, and that allows him to display different tactics on the pitch. The German manager has made some important calls in the last few weeks and has dropped some of the big-money signings to the bench. With a crucial tie approaching, let us have a look at how the Blues could lineup for this crucial match at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea suffered a humiliating 1-4 defeat at the hands of Brentford in the English Premier League. The Blues took the lead but conceded four goals in the second half, which resulted in a defeat. Thomas Tuchel’s side played in a 3-4-3 formation with Kai Havertz leading the line and being supported by Timo Werner and Mason Mount. N’Golo Kante and Ruben Loftus-Cheek were the midfield two. Hakim Ziyech was deputised in the right wing-back position. Marcos Alonso played as the left wing-back. Reece James came off the bench along with Mateo Kovacic and Romelu Lukaku. Christian Pulisic returned late from international duty and missed the match.
In their last Champions League game, Chelsea played in a 3-5-2 formation with Kai Havertz and Christian Pulisic playing as the two strikers. Jorginho, N’Golo Kante, and Mateo Kovacic completed the midfield three.
The above viz shows the average position of Chelsea players in the match against Lille. Christian Pulisic played a higher line than Havertz. Mateo Kovacic supported the attack on the left side.
Chelsea have lined up in 3-4-3, 3-5-2, and 3-4-2-1 formations this season. In the 3-4-3, they play with two midfielders and three attacking players. In the 3-4-2-1 formation, the Blues play with two central midfielders and two attacking midfielders.
Edouard Mendy is expected to start between the sticks for the Blues. Their top defender, Antonio Rudiger, will be in front of the goalkeeper alongside the experienced Thiago Silva, Andreas Christensen, and Trevoh Chalobah. In the absence of Ben Chilwell, Marcos Alonso will keep his spot in the left wing-back position. Reece James is expected to start as the right wing-back, meaning Cesar Azpilicueta could end up playing as the right centre-back. Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic rested in their league fixture, and both of them could get the nod ahead of N’Golo Kante and Loftus-Cheek. Kai Havertz is expected to lead the attack alongside Mason Mount and Christian Pulisic. This means that the Blues could play in a 3-4-3 formation with Pulisic on the left and Mount on the right side of the attack. The manager will look to start with the strongest lineup for this crucial match.
