Chelsea v Real Madrid: what the stats say

This is the second consecutive season in which Chelsea and Real Madrid have met in the knockout stages of the Uefa Champions League. The Blues could become the first English team to eliminate them from the knockout stages of the competition on multiple occasions, having beaten them 3-1 on aggregate in last season’s semifinal.

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Real Madrid have faced Chelsea more times without ever winning than they have against any other side in European competition (5), drawing twice and losing three times against the Blues.

Chelsea are unbeaten in their last eight games against Spanish teams in European competition (W4 D4), including in all five that have taken place during Thomas Tuchel’s time in charge (W3 D2). Their last such defeat came in September 2019, losing 0-1 against Valencia under Frank Lampard.

Real Madrid’s last away win against an English side in the Uefa Champions League was in 2014-15, when they won 3-0 against Liverpool at Anfield. Since then, they are winless in their last five such trips (D2 L3), with the most recent one being a 0-2 defeat against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in last season’s semifinal.

Since Thomas Tuchel’s first Uefa Champions League game in charge of Chelsea in February 2021, the Blues have kept 10 clean sheets in 15 games; the most of any team. They also have the lowest goals conceded per game ratio during this period, with just seven goals conceded (an average of 0.47 per game).

Real Madrid have only lost one of their last eight Uefa Champions League games when facing the previous season’s winners (W5 D2), while they’ve won each of the last three without conceding a goal – all against Bayern Munich (2-0 in 2001-02 and 1-0 and 4-0 in 2013-14).

Real Madrid’s David Alaba could make his 100th appearance in the Uefa Champions League (currently on 99). The Austrian has ended on the winning side in 69 of his 99 games in the competition to date, which will already mark the record for most victories within a player’s first 100 appearances in the European Cup/Uefa Champions League (the previous-most was 67, by Robert Lewandowski).

Karim Benzema has scored eight goals for Real Madrid in the Uefa Champions League this season, which is already his most in a single campaign in the competition. If he scores in this game, he would set a new season-best for goals by a Frenchman in the Uefa Champions League (currently eight).

Since Thomas Tuchel took charge of the team, Christian Pulisic has been directly involved in six goals for Chelsea in the Uefa Champions League (three goals, three assists) – no player has contributed more for the Blues in this period. He scored and assisted in the semifinals against Real Madrid last season, netting away from home in the first leg and assisting Mason Mount in the second leg at Stamford Bridge.

Real Madrid winger Vinícius Júnior has generated more shots following carries (moving 5+ metres with the ball) than any other player in the Uefa Champions League this season (20 – 10 shots, 10 chances created). He also leads all players in the competition this term for carries featuring a take-on attempt (28).