Reigning champions Chelsea to take on Real Madrid in Champions League quarterfinals

By Selcuk Bugra Gokalp

ANKARA (AA) - Chelsea will take on Real Madrid in the first leg match of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.

The Blues are expected to play with full squad except for the injured Ben Chillwell. Los Merengues also have three injured players in their squad; Isco, Eden Hazard and Luka Jovic.

Real Madrid's Italian boss Carlo Ancelotti, who missed Saturday’s away match against Celta Vigo due to being positive for coronavirus, is also expected to be with his squad in the game after recovering.

Chelsea's owner Russian businessman Roman Abramovich was disqualified as club director by the Premier League on March 12 amid a slew of sanctions on Russia over its war on Ukraine.

Abramovich is expected to hand over the rights to another party soon and Bruce Buck, one of the six trustees of the Chelsea Foundation, replaced Abramovich as the chairman until the end of the process.

The reigning champions Chelsea had eliminated Real Madrid, who are the most successful club of Champions League history with 13 titles, with 3-1 aggregate in the semifinal round of 2020–2021 UEFA Champions League.

Chelsea then went on to take down their compatriots, Manchester City, with 1-0 in the final and bagged their second title.

The Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid won their last title in 2018, when they also reached the record of being the only club in history to win three consecutive Champions League trophies.

In the other quarterfinal first leg match, Villarreal will host German Bayern Munich at El Madrigal on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Liverpool beat Benfica 3-1 at Anfield, while Manchester City, defeated Benfica 1-0 at the Etihad Stadium in the other first leg matches of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals.