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Zinedine Zidane has heaped praise on his team ahead of their pivotal Champions League clash against Chelsea. The Real Madrid manager spoke before the game at Stamford Bridge, stating that Los Blancos' players are the best in the world.
'Real Madrid will face Chelsea in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final at Stamford bridge. The first leg ended in a 1-1 draw, with Karim Benzema equalizing the score after Christian Pulisic's solo effort gave Chelsea the lead.
With an away goal in hand, the Blues go into the second leg with an added advantage. Chelsea only need to keep a clean sheet to progress into the finals of the Champions League.
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Meanwhile, Los Blancos face an uphill battle against a motivated Chelsea side. Real Madrid need to score at least one goal at Stamford Bridge, which will undoubtedly be a challenging task against Tuchel's defense. Chelsea have conceded only 10 goals in 23 games in all competitions since the German's arrival.
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It goes without saying that Real Madrid have dealt with several injuries, suffering upwards of 40 this season. Speaking ahead of the crucial Champions League game, the Real Madrid boss has praised his players for overcoming obstacles this season.
In the press conference, Zidane said:
"You have to take your hat off to this team. Every time there are difficulties, they respond. They are the best. We are where we want to be and it is deserved."
Zidane has also stated that his players are ready but they have to suffer to win against Thomas Tuchel's side.
"Everyone here is ready. We will give everything in this Champions League semi-final, a game that doesn't come around every day. The line-up changes nothing. We are certain that we will have to suffer. What matters to me is what we do with the ball."
Real Madrid will be without French centre-back Raphael Varane for the game at Stamford Bridge. He will be joined on the sidelines by Federico Valverde and Ferland Mendy. This comes as bad news for the defending La Liga champions, who need every player to get a favorable result in London.
