This is, of course, the third season running that Real and Chelsea have met in the knock-out rounds of the Champions League.

Back in 2020-21, the Blues came out on top in the semi-finals, with Thomas Tuchel's team setting up a showdown and eventual European triumph by seeing off the Spanish side 3-1 on aggregate.

You can read about that here.

So this season's quarter-final tie is the best-of-three decider.

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You'll surely remember the game last season to which I've just referred - the night Chelsea beat Real Madrid 3-2 at the Bernabeu but saw their reign as European champions come to an end.

You can read our report on the match here.

To give you a brief summary, though, the two teams came into the second leg with Real leading 3-1 on aggregate thanks to an impressive win at Stamford Bridge. Goals from Mason Mount and Antonio Rudiger wiped out Real's advantage to leave the tie in the balance before Timo Werner put the Blues ahead with 15 minutes to go.

Not to be denied, Real levelled it up again at 4-4 thanks to an 80th-minute goal from Rodrygo. They then clinched it in extra-time thanks to good old dependable Karim Benzema.

This season's La Liga title is beyond Real Madrid, with Barcelona having it pretty much in the bag.

However, in Europe Real have been their usual efficient selves. They finished top of Group F and then ruthlessly dealt with Liverpool in the last 16.

The Reds had the temerity to take a 2-0 lead at Anfield in the first leg but Real took stock and then calmly ran riot. Vinicius Jr. scored twice, as did Karim Benzema in a 5-2 win. It made the second leg a stroll.

Such is Real's form at home in the Champions League, they have not failed to score at the Bernabeu since an shock 3-0 loss to CSKA Moscow in December 2018. They have won each of their last five European home games.

Anyone know who inflicted the last European home defeat on Real Madrid? I'll give you a clue. It's starts with C and ends in helsea.

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Carlo Ancelotti is well known to Chelsea. The Italian led the Blues to a Premier League and FA Cup double in 2009-10 as part of a truly glittering career.

He has won league titles in all five of Europe's top leagues - England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain. Now in his second spell at Real Madrid, he is chasing a fifth Champions League crown as a manager.

Make no wonder his name is one of those being thrown around as a possible candidate for the Chelsea job when it becomes available again this summer.

Chris Sutton
Former Blackburn striker on BBC Radio 5 Live

It's interesting that Frank [Lampard] has gone to a back three to get his best defender, Thiago Silva, back in there.

He's got legs and athleticism in midfield and good balance with the wing-backs.

I think Chelsea are here to contain and counter attack.

Chelsea

Chelsea owner Todd Boehly has sent a message to Chelsea fans before tonight's game and predicted the Blues will win comfortably at the home of the European champions.

Asked by Sky Sports if he had a message for fans after a difficult few days, the American businessman said: "I say have a lot of faith, and we're going to win 3-0 tonight.

"We look at this as a very long-term process and we have a lot of work to do, and we're excited about the future. The future is bright and we're excited about tonight."

Chelsea

Frank Lampard, speaking to BT Sport about getting the interim Chelsea gig: "I was sitting in my front room watching Netflix in my shorts and t-shirt when I got the call..."

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Napoli have been absolutely sensational all season, running away with the Serie A title, winning a Champions League group with Liverpool - and scoring 93 goals in all competitions.

They sit 22 points clear of Milan... but a major concern will be their 4-0 defeat at home against today's opponents just 10 days ago.

AC Milan boss Stefano Pioli said: "The match in the league will obviously give us an idea, but there's no way it will be the same match again.

"I think we can expect something different from Napoli so we need to be aware whether we need to make changes from the match in the league."

Uefa handily did the Champions League semi-final draw at the same time as the quarters so we already know what's next.

The winner of Real Madrid v Chelsea will face Manchester City or Bayern Munich - you'd imagine it will be City after their 3-0 first leg win last night.

And AC Milan or Napoli could face an all-Italian semi-final after Inter Milan's 2-0 win at Benfica.

BBC Radio 5 Live

You've got two options for following tonight's action.

You're currently reading the first, with both games receiving full live text commentary coverage.

The second is on your radio with 5 Live covering the Chelsea game in its entirety. You'll be able to get that via this page too, using the play button at the top.

Coverage on 5 Live gets under way shortly, with commentary of the game from 20:00 BST.

AC Milan make five changes from their 0-0 draw with Empoli in Serie A on Friday.

Former Chelsea and Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud and ex-Manchester City winger Brahim Diaz and come in, along with Simon Kjaer, Rade Krunic and Rafael Leao.

Ex-Liverpool forward Divock Origi drops to the bench.

AC Milan XI: Maigan, Calabria, Kjaer, Tomori, T Hernandez, Bennacer, Tonali, Krunic, Diaz, Giroud, Leao.

Image source, BBC Sport

Napoli make just one change to the side that beat Leece 2-1 on Friday as they grew their lead at the top of Serie A to 16 points.

Poland forward Piotr Zielinski comes in for Giacomo RaspadoriI, but, as expected, top goalscorer Victor Osimhen misses out with a thigh injury.

Napoli XI: Meret, Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Kim, Rui, Anguissa, Lobotka, Elmas, Lorenzo, Zielinski, Kvaratskhelia.

Image source, BBC Sport

Antonio Rudiger, who helped Chelsea win the 2021 Champions League, starts on the bench against his old club as Real Madrid make two changes to the side that knocked out Liverpool in the last round on 15 March.

Nacho also drops out as David Alaba and Rodrygo come back into the side.

Vinicius Junior, who has six Champions League goals this season, starts along with Karim Benzema.

Eden Hazard, another former Chelsea player, is on the bench.

Real Madrid XI: Courtois, Camavinga, Alaba, Militao, Carvajal, Kroos, Valverde, Modric, Vinicius Junior, Benzema, Rodrygo.

Substitutes: Vallejo, Nacho, Hazard, Asensio, Lunin, Odriozola, Lucas, Tchouameni, Ceballos, Rudiger, Mariano, Lopez.

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Frank Lampard reacts to Chelsea's 1-0 defeat Wolves last Saturday by making three changes.

In come N'Golo Kante, Thiago Silva and Ben Chilwell.

Out go Marc Cucurella, Conor Gallagher and Kai Havertz.

Raheem Sterling, who has scored more Champions League goals than anyone else for Chelsea this season, keeps his place.

Chelsea XI: Arrizabalaga, Wesley Fofana, Thiago Silva, Koulibaly, James, Kante, Fernandez, Kovacic, Chilwell, Sterling, Felix.

Substitutes: Pulisic, Loftus-Cheek, Chalobah, Mudryk, Mendy, Mount, Zakaria, Ziyech, Gallagher, Azpilicueta, Havertz, Cucurella.

Image source, .

Real Madrid v Chelsea constitutes only 50% of tonight's Champions League quarter-final first-leg action.

The other is not short of intrigue and potential excitement either, with two of Serie A's leading lights - AC Milan and Napoli - clashing at the San Siro.

Napoli currently top the Italian top-flight and look pretty nailed on now to win it. AC Milan are fourth and scrapping to quality for next year's Champions League through their league position.

However, in a delicious little quirk of fate, these two met in the league only 10 days ago. And Milan only went and smashed Napoli 4-0.

This Blues squad are capable of impressive performances.

It was only a few weeks ago that Graham Potter sent out a side that dealt with Bundesliga title-challengers Borussia Dortmund to reach this stage. That 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge pointed to better times ahead - something that has yet failed to come to fruition.

Real Madrid are a different matter entirely, though, and have a man in charge that the Blues know only too well.

We'll get to all that in a minute. First, we'll deal with a few details about tonight and the team news.

It is a pretty damning state of affairs for the owners and their approach at Chelsea that this is the predicament in which they find themselves - a Hail Mary shot to keep their place at Europe's top table.

However, this is where they are at. They have no choice but to get on with it.

Such has been their approach to squad-building and inability to register all the players at their disposal, they come into this tie without arguably their only fit proper number nine in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and lacking defender Benoit Badiashile, upon whom they spent a reported £35m in January.

After failing to get a 'returning manager bounce' in his first game back at Wolves last weekend, Frank Lampard must now try and get a proper tune from the Blues' glittering array of expensive talent.

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea will not have expected their Champions League qualification hopes to come down to this (and yes, I recognise the lunacy of worrying about qualifying for next season's competition over how you fare in this season's, but that's where we seemingly are in football).

Having spent a fortune last summer on players to give Thomas Tuchel to work with, they'll have wanted more.

Having then spent a fortune in January on players to give Graham Potter to work with, they'll definitely have wanted more.

Now, here we are, with Frank Lampard back in caretaker charge, the top-four route back into Europe's premier club competition long gone and only one pathway left.

And who is it standing in their way? Only the 14-time European champions.