Chelsea and Real Madrid will meet in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-final at Stamford Bridge on Thursday, April 7 at 1 a.m. (Bangladesh Standard Time). This will be a fascinating matchup, since Real Madrid are the most successful club in Champions League history, while Chelsea are the reigning champion. Both clubs will strive to win the game in order to obtain a significant advantage over their opponent ahead of next week's crucial second tie at the Santiago Bernabeu. Let's take a look at the latest team news and a match preview for Chelsea vs Real Madrid. Chelsea vs Real Madrid: Probable Team Lineups Ben Chilwell is expected to miss the opening leg against Real Madrid due to injury. In addition, Callum Hudson-Odoi may miss the match owing to an injury. Christian Pulisic, who was out for the weekend encounter, should be available for this one. Predicted Playing XI (Chelsea): Edouard Mendy (GK), Cesar Azpilicueta (RB), Trevoh Chalobah (CB), Antonio Rudiger (CB), Reece James (LB), N'Golo Kante (CM), Jorginho (CM), Marcos Alonso (CM), Mateo Kovacic (LW), Kai Havertz (RW), Christian Pulisic (FW). Read Barcelona edges Sevilla to move into 2nd in Spanish league  Coach Carlo Ancelotti will most likely miss guiding his team from the sideline due to COVID-19 issues. Luka Jovic, Isco, and Eden Hazard are among the players who will almost certainly miss out due to injury. Predicted Playing XI (Real Madrid): Thibaut Courtois (GK), Dani Carvajal (RB), Eder Militao (CB), David Alaba (CB), Ferland Mendy (LB), Toni Kroos (CM), Casemiro (CM), Luka Modric (CM), Federico Valverde (RW), Vinicius Junior (LW), Karim Benzema (FW) Chelsea FC vs Real Madrid CF: Head-to-Head Both sides have met each other five times at European events. Real Madrid have never beaten Chelsea in UEFA competitions. Chelsea defeated Real Madrid three times, including a 2-0 victory at Stamford Bridge in the second leg of the Champions League semi-finals last season. Read: UEFA Champions League 2022: Top favourites to reach the semi-finals Real Madrid have won the Champions League 13 times, making them the most successful side in the competition's history. The most recent Champions League title won by Madrid was in 2018. On the other hand, Chelsea have won the UEFA Champions League thrice, including last season. Portuguese striker, Cristiano Ronaldo is Real Madrid's highest scorer in the Champions League with 105 goals. Oppositely, Didier Drogba of the Ivory Coast is Chelsea's top scorer with 36 goals. Real Madrid vs Chelsea Match Prediction Chelsea and Real Madrid have both suffered heavy losses in their recent domestic league fixtures. Chelsea were defeated 4-1 by Brentford in their most recent Premier League encounter. It was the first time Chelsea have lost against Brentford since 1939. Real Madrid, on the other hand, was humiliated 4-0 by arch-rival Barcelona in front of their home supporters, ending a five-match unbeaten streak against the La Blaugrana. However, Los Blancos made a strong comeback in their latest La Liga encounter, defeating Cleta Vigo 2-1 away from home. Read: Mbappe runs the show in PSG’s 5-1 win over Lorient Chelsea and Real Madrid both prefer to play in a 4-3-3 formation because it is an approach they are familiar with. However, Thomas Tuchel is known for his mastermind tactics and has a stellar Champions League record. He can outsmart Carlo Ancelotti of Real Madrid in a tactical tussle. Ancelotti may not be in the dugout for the first leg due to a positive COVID-19 test. Prediction: Chelsea 1-0 Real Madrid           Verdict Chelsea FC and Real Madrid both have some of the top footballers in the world right now. Their tactics remain fairly similar when facing decent opposition. However, both teams have struggled this season while playing tougher opponents. Chelsea's record against big sides this season hasn't been impressive, while Real Madrid eliminated PSG in the Round of 16 thanks to a fantastic performance by French striker Karim Benzema. Therefore, it will be interesting to see how both teams create a strategy to defeat one other in this Chelsea vs Real Madrid match.  Read FIFA World Cup 2022: GroupWise Favourites to Advance to Round of 16

The majority of the expected teams advanced to the quarter-finals after overcoming some difficult matches in both legs of the Round of 16. As per the draw, the quarter-final matchups between Real Madrid and Chelsea will be the most entertaining. Chelsea are the current European champion, whereas Real Madrid are one of Europe's traditional powerhouses. The remainder of the quarter-final matches will be enthralling as well. Let's have a look at the teams with the best possibilities of reaching the UEFA Champions League 2022 quarter-finals. 2022 Champions League: Quarter-Finals Fixtures and Favourites The first quarter-final matches of the UEFA Champions League 2022 will take place on April 5 and 6. This knockout round's second tie will be staged on April 12 and 13, respectively. Eight matches will be played in the quarter-final phase, with the winners determined by the aggregate goals scored. If the aggregate goals aren't enough to determine the winner, a penalty shootout will be held. Let's have a look at the favorites to reach the UEFA Champions League 2022 semi-finals. Benfica vs Liverpool  First Leg Fixture: Wednesday (April 6/1 a.m.) | Venue: Estadio da Luz Second Leg Fixture: Thursday (April 14/1 a.m.) | Venue: Anfield   Liverpool had a tough fight against Inter Milan in the Round of 16 fixtures. They eventually came out as winners, with a 2-1 aggregate. On the other hand, Benfica overcame Ajax in the last round. Liverpool have a better squad and higher-quality players than Benfica. That is why Liverpool will start as favorites in their quarter-final ties. Verdict: Liverpool Read Mbappe runs the show in PSG’s 5-1 win over Lorient Manchester City vs Atletico Madrid First Leg Fixture: Wednesday (April 6/1 a.m.) | Venue: Etihad Stadium Second Leg Fixture: Thursday (April 14/1 a.m.) | Venue: Wanda Metropolitano Stadium Manchester City thrashed Sporting CP in the Round of 16 with a resounding victory. On the other side, Atletico Madrid fought hard to defeat Manchester United and proceed to the quarter-finals. Manchester City will start as the favourites in the quarter-final match against Atletico Madrid. Oppositely, Atletico Madrid have the potential to upset Manchester City if they can formulate an effective plan. Verdict: Manchester City. Read Barcelona edges Sevilla to move into 2nd in Spanish league Villarreal vs Bayern Munich First Leg Fixture: Thursday (April 7/1 a.m.) | Venue: El Madrigal Second Leg Fixture: Wednesday (April 13/1 a.m.) | Venue: Allianz Arena Villarreal won 4-1 on aggregate against Juventus in the Round of 16 of the Champions League. Villarreal's quarter-final opponent, Bayern Munich were merciless against Red Bull Salzburg in the previous round. Though Villarreal will give Bayern Munich a strong fight, the Bavarians will be the favourites to proceed to the semi-finals.  Verdict: Bayern Munich. Read FIFA World Cup 2022: GroupWise Favourites to Advance to Round of 16 Chelsea vs Real Madrid First Leg Fixture: Thursday (April 7/1 a.m.) | Venue: Stamford Bridge Second Leg Fixture: Wednesday (April 13/1 a.m.) | Venue: Santiago Bernabeu  Both Chelsea and Real Madrid have some genuine world-class players. So there will be no clear favorites in these quarter-final matches. Thomas Tuchel and Carlo Ancelotti will use their own strategies to attempt to stop each other. Therefore it could be a tactical match. Whoever execute their game plan well has the best chance of making it to the semifinals. Verdict: Chelsea. Read CONMEBOL World Cup 2022 Qualifiers: Peru, Colombia, Chile vying for playoff spot Bottom Line One thing is clear after the quarter-finals: players from squads with good teamwork are more likely to do well in this event. As a result, the best eight teams from the Round of 16 have advanced to the quarter-finals. Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, and Chelsea are among them. With the exception of Chelsea, the rest of the clubs will be in a better position to proceed to the semi-finals in their respective quarter-final matches. Chelsea must defeat Real Madrid to advance to the semi-finals, which will be a challenging task. On the whole, it is expected that the UEFA Champions League 2022 quarter-finals will be fascinating.

The first ties of Round of 16 of the ongoing UEFA Champions League were concluded in February. The clubs with the highest chance of reaching the quarter-finals were revealed after the first ties. As a result, teams will be able to build out flawless strategies for the second tie. Some of the clubs have a significant edge after securing big victories in their first ties, while others appear to be wide-open matchups in the second ties. Let's take a look at the teams with the best chances of making the 2022 UEFA Champions League quarter-finals. UEFA Champions League 2022 Round of 16: Fixtures and Results Sixteen matches are scheduled to be played in the Round of 16. Each side is slated to play two games on a home-and-away basis. If the aggregate goals in a two-legged tie are the same, the winner will be determined by 30 minutes of extra time. If extra time fails to determine the winner, a penalty shoot-out will be held. Let's see who the favorites are to advance to the 2022 UEFA Champions League quarter-finals. Sporting CP vs Manchester City First Leg: 0-5; Second Leg: 9 March; Aggregate: TBD Manchester City have a huge lead over Sporting CP after scoring five goals away from home in the first leg. Pep Guardiola's side will almost certainly advance to the quarter-finals unless Sporting CP makes the biggest comeback in UCL history. The second leg between these two teams will take place at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday, March 9. Read Epyllion clinch BGMEA Cup Red Bull Salzburg vs Bayern Munich First Leg: 1-1; Second Leg: 1-7; Aggregate: 2-8 Bayern Munich were dissatisfied following a 1-1 draw in the first leg against Red Bull Salzburg. They intended to make a big impression in the second leg, which they achieved by beating Salzburg 7-1 on Tuesday. Bayern Munich earned a place in the quarter-finals with a 2-8 aggregate score. Benfica vs Ajax First Leg: 2-2; Second Leg: 15 March; Aggregate: TBD This match was expected to be competitive, and neither team was disappointed in the first leg. After a 2-2 draw in the first leg, the winner will be decided in the second leg. The second leg will take place on March 15 in Amsterdam. Read Ukraine asks FIFA to postpone World Cup playoff vs Scotland Chelsea vs Lille First Leg: 2-0; Second Leg: 16 March; Aggregate: TBD Chelsea won 2-0 at home in the first leg against the French league champions, Lille. Lille will need to outperform Chelsea in order to qualify for the quarter-finals. However, the reigning Ligue 1 champions will find it incredibly tough to overcome Chelsea in the second leg. The second tie will take place on March 16 at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy. Atletico Madrid vs Manchester United First Leg: 1-1; Second Leg: 15 March; Aggregate: TBD Both Atletico Madrid and Manchester United have had a difficult season thus far. When the tie was confirmed, neither team was the bookies' favourite. The Wanda Metropolitano hosted the first leg, which finished in a 1-1 draw. The winner will be decided in the second leg, which will take place on March 15 at Old Trafford. Read Chelsea FC: Roman Abramovich ready to sell the club due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine Villarreal vs Juventus First Leg: 1-1; Second Leg: 16 March; Aggregate: TBD The tie is wide open for any side after the first leg ended in a 1-1 draw. Juventus will host Villarreal for the second leg on March 16th.  Juventus may start the match as a slight favourite before the second leg as they will be playing at home. Inter Milan vs Liverpool First Leg: 0-2; Second Leg: 1-0; Aggregate: 1-2 Inter Milan were under pressure heading into the second game after losing the first leg 2-0 at San Siro. Inter Milan made a valiant effort to reduce the deficit and end the game at 2-2 at Anfield, but they were only able to score one goal. Therefore, Liverpool have qualified for the quarter-finals with a 1-2 aggregate. Read Russia loses Champions League final to Paris; Sochi F1 axed Paris Saint-Germain vs Real Madrid  First Leg: 1-0; Second Leg: 9 March; Aggregate: TBD Paris Saint-Germain defeated Real Madrid 1-0 in the first leg. As a result, the second tie is wide open and will take place at the Santiago Bernabeu on March 9. This is one of the most thrilling Round of 16 matchups since both teams have some world-class players. Both teams would aim to outwit each other in terms of strategies in this game.   Bottom Line Following the first ties of the Round of 16, it is apparent that the in-form teams have the upper hand in securing a quarter-final berth. Therefore, the best teams are likely to compete in the tournament's last eight rounds. Two of the tournament's favorites, Bayern Munich and Liverpool have already qualified for the next round. The remaining six spots will be confirmed by next week. The remainder Round of 16 matches of the 2022 UEFA Champions League are predicted to be enthralling. Read AFC Asian Cup: Bangladesh to face Bahrain in opener on June 8