Losing La Liga means Chelsea tie is now make-or-break for Real Madrid and Ancelotti

The Santiago Bernabeu will witness another great European night when Real Madrid host Chelsea in the quarter-final first leg on Wednesday, April 12, 2023.

Carlo Ancelotti and his side have had their own problems in La Liga. However, they’ve always taken the UEFA Champions League very seriously and will be approaching the game against the Blues in very much the same manner.

Even for a side that has been European champions a record 14 times, the thirst for another title remains very high among fans and players alike.

Real Madrid had to go through some of England’s best teams en route to winning the Champions League last season. They beat Chelsea in the quarter-finals, Manchester City in the semi-finals and Liverpool in the final.

The defending champions now face another test against English opposition but Chelsea’s poor form means Los Blancos have the upper hand, although they can neither leave anything to chance nor underestimate their opponents.

Los Blancos aim to put Villarreal defeat behind them

Real Madrid are coming into the game on the back of a mixed week that saw them display one of their best performances of the season and also showcase how inconsistent they can be at times.

The 4-0 thrashing of Barcelona at the Camp Nou was a flawless performance and Ancelotti’s side was expected to build on it, but they dropped their levels when they faced Villarreal last Saturday, eventually losing 3-2 at home.

For a side looking to bounce back to winning ways, they cannot afford to repeat the kind of lackluster performance they displayed at the weekend against Chelsea.

The Blues might be enduring a poor run of form and all, but they have players who can change the course of a game with their quality and individual brilliance, and Real Madrid must be wary of that.

Chelsea are the underdogs but they are still a better team than Villarreal, irrespective of their current form, and won’t go down without a fight.

---

Make-or-break for Real Madrid

Real Madrid are currently enjoying a better season than many teams across Europe, but they haven’t yet won any major trophies this season.

Although Los Blancos are in the final of the Copa del Rey, many fans want to see them compete for bigger titles like La Liga and the Champions League.

Unfortunately, though, their chances of winning the league are all but gone as they trail rivals Barcelona by a whopping 13 points. That leaves Real Madrid with the Champions League to fight for, which in turn increases the importance of their game against Chelsea.

"For a manager, for me as a coach to manage this squad, it’s very simple," Ancelotti said in his pre-match press conference, as quoted by Goal.

"This team is well prepared. Because if we win the Cup we will have won all the titles in two years and there are teams that don’t win that in their whole life."

It’s now a make-or-break affair for Real Madrid and Ancelotti, who are banking their whole season on the Champions League after seeing their La Liga hopes fade away.