Focus on coaches as Madrid hosts Chelsea in Champions League

MADRID — The newest encounter between Real Madrid and Chelsea within the Champions League will put a highlight on their coaches.

Chelsea will journey for Wednesday’s first leg in Madrid with Frank Lampard attempting to win for the primary time since being named interim coach.

Madrid will play nonetheless surrounded by doubts about Carlo Ancelotti’s future amid rumors of him taking on Brazil’s nationwide staff.

The final result might doubtlessly assist Lampard reclaim a everlasting job with the English membership, or affect Ancelotti’s resolution on whether or not to simply accept the Brazil job.

Chelsea appointed Lampard to interchange Graham Potter and misplaced its first recreation with him in cost within the Premier League over the weekend. The membership enters the match on the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on a four-match winless run. It has gained solely two of its final 11 matches within the Premier League, the place it sits in eleventh place.

“We have an opportunity against a fantastic team and we just have to attempt to make the most of the opportunity – go there with confidence and go there with a belief, because otherwise you don’t turn up,” stated Lampard, the previous Chelsea midfield nice who additionally coached the staff from 2019-21.

PHOTOS: Focus on coaches as Madrid hosts Chelsea in Champions League

Ancelotti and Madrid are coming off a 3-2 dwelling loss to Villarreal that all-but-ended the staff’s hopes of profitable the Spanish league, leaving it 13 factors behind chief Barcelona with 10 matches remaining. Its focus now’s on the Champions League and the Copa del Rey ultimate in opposition to Osasuna in May.

Ancelotti has stated he desires to stay with Madrid till the top of his contract subsequent 12 months, however acknowledged that he was flattered to find out about Brazil’s curiosity in him. Brazil’s nationwide staff has an interim coach since after the World Cup and desires a alternative to be introduced quickly.

Ancelotti stated having twenty years of teaching expertise greater than Lampard gained’t make a lot of a distinction.

“He is a fantastic and extraordinary professional,” Ancelotti stated. “I don’t think that in this case the experience will mean much. He arrived only a week ago and I’m certain that he will do well for as long as he stays with Chelsea.”

The final two Champions League winners, Madrid and Chelsea have gotten used to dealing with one another within the knockout phases of the competitors just lately.

Madrid received the very best of Chelsea within the quarterfinals final season on its option to a record-extending 14th European title. Chelsea overcame Madrid within the semifinals within the earlier 12 months to finally safe its second Champions League trophy.

Chelsea eradicated Madrid 3-1 on mixture amid the coronavirus pandemic in 2020-21, whereas Madrid final 12 months superior with a 5-4 whole rating following additional time in an exciting second leg on the Bernabeu.

“We suffered a lot last year,” Ancelotti stated. ”Chelsea is a high staff and in matches like these there’s all the time additional motivation.”

Madrid is trying to make it to the semifinals for the eleventh time in 13 seasons, whereas Chelsea has appeared within the final 4 solely as soon as since 2013-14.

Madrid has gained six of its eight Champions League video games this season, with a loss at Leipzig and a draw at Shakhtar Donetsk within the group stage. Chelsea has 5 victories, one draw and two defeats – to Dinamo Zagreb within the group stage and to Borussia Dortmund within the first leg of the spherical of 16. The draw got here in opposition to Salzburg within the group stage.

Ancelotti may have practically all of his gamers obtainable for the primary leg, excluding left again Ferland Mendy.

Mason Mount and N’Golo Kante didn’t play in Chelsea’s final recreation within the Premier League however returned to coaching on Monday and must be obtainable for the journey to the Spanish capital.