If you've been reading for a while tonight you'll know that earlier we brought you an image of Unai Emery without his hair slicked. He looked cool, like he'd been caught in a surfer's breeze on a hip beach.

Sadly he's slicked it tonight. It's got a shine too. Must have used conditioner this morning.

High pressing from the off from the Blues, with Timo Werner scampering after the ball as Real shift around at the back.

How Chelsea would early love that early goal to lob a great big hungry cat amongst the pigeons.

We've got a reduced capacity here at the Bernabeu with the stadium undergoing renovation. It's still lively, though.

If Chelsea do manage to pull off the most unlikely of comebacks, it is going to be some watch. You wouldn't want to miss that would you?

Of course not.

We are under way in the Bernabeu. Updates to follow from this game and the one at the Allianz Arena.

The Champions League anthem blasts out. Goosebumps.

One wonders if Dani Parejo and Etienne Capoue are thinking of QPR and Cardiff respectively.

The players are in the tunnel and Bayern elect to light the tunnel up with red lighting.

The red stairs look like something out of a dodgy night club.

Karen Carney
Former Chelsea midfielder on BBC Radio 5 Live

It does have to be a fast start by Chelsea. Energy, tempo and get your best players on the ball. Get Mason Mount in there. Chelsea do start very fast in the Champions League. It was just last week they didn't.

Image source, Getty Images

Mateo Kovacic wants to take inspiration from previous Champions League comebacks to help his current side overturn a daunting two-goal deficit to Real Madrid.

Kovacic was in the Real side that knocked out Wolfsburg in 2015-16, despite losing the first leg 2-0 in Germany, and also referenced Chelsea's spellbinding victory over Napoli in 2012 as a source of inspiration.

"Football is always surprising," he said. "There are many comebacks.

"We need to be more than 100% ready to do a comeback of our own."

The Serbia midfielder also praised Croatia counterpart Luka Modric, who he counts as one of his childhood football heroes.

"He is an amazing player," said Kovacic. "I admired him when I was growing up and he played for Dinamo Zagreb - now we have become good friends and I admire him even more.

"It is nice to play against him but it's very difficult to stop him.

"If he keeps going like this, I think he can keep playing for the next three or four years and the same level."

Simon Gleave
Head of sports analysis, Nielsen Gracenote

After losing the first leg 3-1 at home, Chelsea now have a huge task in Madrid if they are to avoid elimination. The Euro Club Index, external ranks Real Madrid as the fourth best team in Europe with Chelsea sixth.

Add Real's two goal lead and their home advantage to that underlying superiority and Chelsea have just 7% chance of reaching this year's semi-finals.

Chelsea

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel, speaking to BT Sport: "Everybody wants an early goal in. We will try and to get into their minds and cause some doubts. Even if it is the other way round, we will keep trying.

"We have Reece James in an area where we need him, where he can match the speed of Vinícius Junior. Ruben Loftus-Cheek is in a hybrid role.

"We have to take some risks. We want to play a higher line of pressing and have more players closer to the ball when we attack.

"This is what we will try today and Timo Werner is part of it. Hopefully he can keep the momentum."

The Chelsea Blogger: Massive night for Werner tonight. After a brilliant performance against Southampton it’s his chance to get some momentum & a regular starting place. Feels like make or break.

Image source, Getty Images

Real Madrid's former Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti said his side still have work to do to reach the semi-finals.

"Chelsea will come here to rescue the tie, I have no doubt about it," said the Italian, who led the Blues to the Premier League title in 2009-10.

"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."

Real Madrid are 12 points clear at the top of La Liga, with their latest victory coming via a 2-0 scoreline against Getafe at the weekend. This was their eighth win in nine competitive games.

Of course, if Chelsea do need a bit of recent history to provide them with hope, they only need look at the one result of those nine that e did not win - the 4-0 home loss to Barcelona.

Carlo Ancelotti's side can be got at.

Image source, Getty Images

"When you play with a guy who scored 50 or 60 goals a season, of course, you are at the service of the player because he is someone who scored a lot," Karim Benzema said.

"I had to adapt; I adapted. He left. So it was down to me to make a step forward and show that I could make the difference."

These were Benzema's words when asked about his roles at Real Madrid with and without Cristiano Ronaldo.

The France forward will lead Real's attack in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Chelsea on Tuesday, having scored a hat-trick in last week's first leg at Stamford Bridge. It was his second hat-trick in successive European club games, having hit three as Paris St-Germain were eliminated in the last 16.

Benzema has been in prolific form despite off-field problems - he is appealing against a conviction for blackmail, having been found guilty by a French court last November.

On the pitch, the striker has scored 11 Champions League this season - a total bettered only by Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski, who has 12.

Benzema, 34, spent years in Ronaldo's shadow at the Bernabeu. Yet while he was once primarily a creator for others, the Frenchman has now emerged as Real's main man - and one of the most clinical attackers in Europe.

Read more of Raj Chohan's piece here.

Image source, Getty Images

Some players would see a hat-trick to knock Paris St-Germain out of the Champions League as enough to coast on for a little while. Not Karim Benzema.

The French striker spent so long in the shadow of Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid but is now taking as much of the limelight as he can for himself.

His treble at Stamford Bridge was another masterclass in predatory finishing - two early headers and an effort handed on a plate by Edouard Mendy.

He now has 37 goals in 37 games this season, including 11 in eight Champions League appearances.

With Benzema leading the line, Real are eyeing a second successive semi-final appearance - one that may see them take on Manchester City.

If you read our BBC Sport gossip column you'll know Villarreal's Arnaut Danjuma is linked with Premier League clubs on the regular.

The 25-year-old has scored six goals in the Champions League this season, with only three players remaining in the 2021-22 competition having netted more. They are Robert Lewandowski with 12, Karim Benzema on 11 and Mohamed Salah on eight.

Not bad company.

Image source, Getty Images

Firstly, can we appreciate Unai Emery without the slicked hair? I think this is the way to go.

Secondly, the former Arsenal boss has never been beyond the quarter-finals of the Champions League in his career. So he's bidding for a first here tonight...

Image source, Getty Images

Bayern Munich have a nine-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga. That is maybe a little ominous for others in the Champions League as if they get through this they'll enter the semi-final stage perhaps knowing they can rest a few players for league games. Fresh legs is always a massive bonus in such big games is it not?

They've lost just once in their last 10 games in all competitions - the 1-0 defeat in the first-leg at Villarreal.

• This will be Chelsea’s first-ever game at the Santiago Bernabeu in European competition, with last season’s away game at Real Madrid being played at the Alfredo Di Stefano Stadium. No English side has ever won at the Santiago Bernabeu in the Champions League by more than a single goal, with Real Madrid only losing three of the 12 games overall (W6 D3).
• In Thomas Tuchel’s 16 games in charge of Chelsea in the competition, 40% of the goals that they have conceded in the Champions League (4/10) have been scored by Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema. Despite only having played one leg, this is already the most goals Chelsea have conceded in a knockout tie in the competition under Tuchel (3).
• No Blues player has been directly involved in more Champions League goals under Tuchel than Christian Pulisic (6 – three goals, three assists).
• Édouard Mendy conceded three goals in the first leg against Real Madrid, as many as he had in his previous 10 appearances in the Champions League combined. His error leading to Real Madrid’s third goal was also the first one he has made in 20 appearances in the competition.