Real Madrid’s Champions League Hopes Face New Challenge with Chelsea’s Managerial Change

Real Madrid and Chelsea are set to face off for the third time in the UEFA Champions League knockout stages. The two teams have a win each from the previous two campaigns, making this the deciding match. At the draw, Real Madrid were considered heavy favourites to go through, but recent events have changed the equation.

While Real Madrid has not been in top form, Chelsea’s performance has been worse, currently sitting at 11th place in the Premier League and out of both domestic cup competitions. Despite this, they managed to make it to the last 8 of the Champions League, defeating Borussia Dortmund.

However, just 10 days before the first leg against Real Madrid, Chelsea made a significant change, replacing Graham Potter with Bruno Saltor as the interim head coach. This has given Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid’s coach, something new to consider.

While Potter’s time at Chelsea was marked by a downward trend, the change in management could lead to a new manager bounce. Historically, clubs have seen a sudden improvement in performance after changing managers, making it possible for Chelsea to appear like a completely different team in the upcoming match at Santiago Bernabeu.

Real Madrid is still seen as favourites to beat Chelsea, but the recent developments have added a new challenge for them to overcome. Chelsea’s next match against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge could also provide insight into how they will perform in the Champions League.