The 3-1 victory in the first duel is a bonus that David Alaba & Co. should not let go of.
But the opponents from England arrived with a lot of self-confidence, and the recent 6-0 win over Ralph Hasenhüttl’s FC Southampton fuels confidence in a memorable comeback at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu. Real has been untouchable there this season with two painful exceptions. In the Champions League, Sheriff Tiraspol celebrated a 2-1 away win, arch-rivals FC Barcelona even celebrated a 4-0 triumph in the league summit, which, however, trump ace Karim Benzema was missing at every turn.
The 34-year-old Real captain is in great shape and set this time. He pained Chelsea at the stadium at Stamford Bridge with a ‘triple pack’. For a new one? “It was a magical night in London, but we can’t rest. We expect an opponent who will try everything,” stressed Benzema. The Frenchman led his side to a 2-0 win over Getafe in the Spanish championship on Saturday, 12 points clear of pursuers FC Barcelona and FC Sevilla. The champagne can at least be chilled.
Of course, the “royal” want to dance at two weddings, which is also Alaba’s claim. “I came to Madrid to win titles,” said the 29-year-old from Vienna. Mateo Kovacic, who was born in Linz, returns to his former place of work with Chelsea. It’s a special match.
Source: Nachrichten
