“Lampard having the b***s”, “There is a chance” – Chelsea fans celebrate as 23-year-old star misses out on starting line-up against Real Madrid 

Chelsea fans are over the moon to see Kai Havertz benched for the UEFA Champions League first leg quarter-final showdown against Real Madrid. The two European giants play at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday (April 13) night.

Caretaker boss Frank Lampard has made a bold call by benching Havertz, 23. While the German has been a crucial player for the Blues since his move from Bayer Leverkusen, he has been a shadow of his illustrious self this season.

He has scored nine goals and provided an assist in 39 games this campaign. Havertz has often come under scrutiny for his lack of clinicality in front of goal, though.

Kepa Arrizabalaga starts in goal for the Blues in the Spanish capital. Wesley Fofana, Thiago Silva and Kalidou Koulibaly are the three central defenders. Reece James and Ben Chilwell are the wing-backs. N'Golo Kante, Enzo Fernandez, and Mateo Kovacic form the midfield three, while Raheem Sterling and Joao Felix start in attack.

The Blues are coming off a 1-0 Premier League defeat against Wolverhampton Wanderers at the weekend. Los Blancos, meanwhile, were beaten 3-2 by Villareal in their last La Liga clash at the weekend.

Fans reckon with Havertz absent from the first XI, Lampard's side have a chance to win at the Santiago Bernabeu. One wrote on Twitter:

"Lampard having the balls to bench Havertz, that’s my gaffer."

Another wrote:

"No Havertz means there is a chance."

Here are some of the best reactions across Twitter as Kai Havertz doesn't start the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals:

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Chelsea star Kepa Arrizabalaga makes bullish claim ahead of Real Madrid showdown

Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga sounded confident ahead of the Blues' last eight showdown against Real Madrid.

Ahead of the monumental clash, the Spanish custodian said (via the Blues' website):

"We are respectful of the competition. But we are among the last remaining eight teams, so it’s obvious that we are dreaming of winning the Champions League. We know how difficult it is, but we are going to do all we can. We take it step by step, match by match, to try to go as far as possible."

Kepa's performance is set to be crucial if Chelsea are to have a chance of upsetting Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu. The Blues won 3-2 at the Bernabeu last season en route a 5-4 aggregate defeat in the quarterfinals.