Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti is bidding to qualify for the Champions League semi-finals for the eighth time in his career, which would be the joint-most by a coach in the competition along with Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho.
“Chelsea will come here to rescue the tie, I have no doubt about it,” said Ancelotti.
“He [Tuchel] can say whatever he wants but I’m sure Chelsea will come here to win – that’s the spirit of football, the spirit of big clubs and great players, to never give up.
“I’m lucky to have a group of players that know these types of games really well, that anything can happen. They are in a good spirit and happy with the opportunity to reach a Champions League semi-final.
“But Chelsea are a very strong rival. We have to have a lot of respect and we’re going to have it”.
Match stats
- Chelsea have only once scored more than two goals away from home in the knockout stages of the Champions League, beating Liverpool 3-1 in 2008-09.
- Karim Benzema has scored 11 goals for Real Madrid in the Champions League this season, the most by a French player in a single campaign in European Cup/Champions League history.
- Real manager Carlo Ancelotti is looking to qualify for the semi-finals of the Champions League for the eighth time – the joint-most by a coach in the competition’s history, along with Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho (eight).
- Real have progressed from nine of their past 10 ties in the Champions League knockout stages when winning the first leg away from home, with their only elimination in this scenario coming against Ajax in 2018-19 (2-1 away, 1-4 at home).
