It is the mouthwatering prospect of Real Madrid versus Chelsea tonight, though not quite as expected. This first-ever clash of these European giants in Europe’s elite competition will take place at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano, rather than the Santiago Bernabeu. The famous stadium on so many Chelsea supporters’ bucket lists is being refurbished, so the training ground plays host, no spectators allowed.

Saturday’s stalemate on the same ground against Real Betis ended a run of five successive wins in all competitions there for Los Blancos, who have now failed to find the net in three of their past four games home and away.

Chelsea, two games from an eighth continental cup final, arrive in the Spanish capital having conceded just one goal in the past seven forays away from Stamford Bridge.

The Londoners have also won each of the last three Champions League matches against Spanish opposition this season: Sevilla away in the group stage, and both legs of the Round of 16 against Real’s city rivals Atletico.

This is the Blues’ eighth appearance in the Champions League semi-finals – the most by any English side – and Real Madrid’s 14th. The hosts’ track record of securing 19 European trophies may put Chelsea’s six in some shade, but the Blues do have one or two claims over our hosts.

We are one of just five members of a group of clubs who have won every major UEFA competition. Real never lifted the now defunct Cup Winners’ Cup, partly because the Londoners beat them to the 1971 title after a replay. Our only other meeting was in the 1998 Super Cup – also won by the Blues - 23 years ago.

Chelsea team news

Neither Chelsea nor our coach, Thomas Tuchel, have ever lost to Los Blancos and confidence should be high going into tonight’s first leg in Madrid after a positive weekend domestically.

Tuchel described Saturday’s victory at West Ham as ‘significant’ in the race to qualify for this competition next season. It created breathing space ahead of another derby to come on Saturday against Fulham and produced a long-awaited goal for Timo Werner.The German dropped deep to hold off Hammers’ centre-back Ogbonna and start the move, then left the out-of-position central defender in his wake to meet Ben Chilwell’s shrewd cross. Just what he was bought for.

Equally handily, players who could have key roles tonight such as Kai Havertz and Reece James had some rest, and no new injuries cropped up: only midfielder Mateo Kovacic is ruled out tonight.So far in this competition the Blues have scored one goal more than Real, conceded eight fewer, and kept three more clean sheets. On the road, we have conceded only one goal and found the net 13 times over the past five games.

However, the hosts easily dispensed with English opposition in the previous round. Liverpool effectively lost the tie in the first leg, defensive howlers being clinically punished in the Spanish capital.

Chelsea must not lack intensity and concentration as the Merseysiders did if Edou Mendy is to match the record of just two goals conceded by a goalkeeper in his first 10 Champions League outings; a record set by Real’s Keylor Navas.

Tuchel has told his players to ‘play hungry’ and express themselves, and midfield could be a key battleground. Mason Mount – who will play his 100th Chelsea game tonight if selected – could be asked to drop deep if necessary to help N’Golo Kante and Jorginho against the three men in Los Blancos’ creative engine room. The Blues’ ability to elude Real’s pressing tactics and attempts to retrieve the ball as soon as they lose it could also define the outcome of this tie.

Centre-halves Varane and Militao will be confident of repelling the Blues’ crosses when they are set in position, but break behind Real’s high full-backs and inviting acres have the rearguard back-pedalling. It is vital when that happens Chelsea’s movement is fast and precise and finishing spot-on.

No team since Levante in January has scored more than one goal against former Chelsea keeper Thibaut Courtois, so every opportunity is precious in both games. Hakim Ziyech scored in each of this first two encounters with the Spaniards and will hope to make that three tonight.

Zidane in the zone

Notoriously, Real Madrid are one of those teams that does not really start to play well until the business end of this competition, when their ring-craft is at its most valuable.

Zinedine Zidane has pronounced this game Real’s ‘most difficult of the season’, and more La Liga points dropped at the weekend only emphasised its magnitude to his vastly experienced side.

Real Betis were guilty of missing two great chances on Saturday so Real Madrid secured their fourth successive clean sheet – three of which have been 0-0 draws. Did that signify a fatigue problem, or were they performing pragmatically with depleted resources?

‘It’s a very demanding fixture list and the many injuries the team’s had isn’t only significant in that the coach can’t use certain players, but also because those who are playing don’t get any rest,’ Dani Carvajal admitted recently.

Los Blancos’ first-choice right-back returned to action at the weekend after six months out, but talismanic centre-back and skipper Sergio Ramos, their most rounded left-back, Ferland Mendy, and Fede Valverde, a major source of creativity, may not feature until the decisive leg in London.

Eden Hazard, the onetime Prince of Stamford Bridge, was a late substitute on Saturday, opening up the tiring Andalusians a couple of times. Overall, Real missed midfielder Toni Kroos’ range and speed of passing, but he was back training on Sunday.

At 35, Luka Modric still gains plaudits, but it is street-wise Casemiro who enables Zidane’s system to function, screening the backline and putting out fires elsewhere. After Liverpool’s Milner had clattered a few of his team-mates at Anfield, it was the rugged Brazilian who replied in kind.

Upfront, Karim Benzema accounts for a quarter of their shots on target in this competition and almost a third of their goals.

Twenty-year-old Brazilian wideman Vinicius Junior, alert and resourceful, netted twice against Liverpool and loves to run at or behind defenders. He will also have his work cut out tracking the Blues’ wing-back tonight, though. If the more reticent Nacho starts at left-back, we can expect Marcelo to appear alongside his compatriot at some stage.

Chelsea’s defence could be better than any Real will have encountered on the domestic front, and Zidane will be wary of the physical challenge his side face in every corner of the pitch.

The former France World Cup-winner has tended towards a 4-3-3 formation for the bigger games but his team are also familiar with a 3-4-3, similar to the Blues’.

Either way the midfield is likely to play quite narrow, leaving pockets on the flanks for inside-forwards to exploit.

How to watch Chelsea-Real Madrid

This match will be covered live by BT Sport in the UK. To find the relevant broadcaster where you are elsewhere, see UEFA’s TV guide.

Chelsea TV’s global available matchday shows – including early team news, exclusive interviews and analysis – are on the 5th Stand app, Facebook Live and the official YouTube channel.

Champions League semi-final regulations

Coaches are permitted to select 12 substitutes and introduce five of them in three different spells (plus half-time) throughout the course of the match. Real have had the benefit of this all season in La Liga.The Video Assistant Referee system is used in all games and viewing the pitch-side monitor is more prevalent than in the Premier League.

The away goals rule, favouring the side that has scored more goals on the road, applies at the end of normal time in the second leg.

All accumulated yellow cards were cleared at the end of the quarter-finals.

Man in the middle

Danny Makkelie has taken charge of two previous Chelsea group stage matches: the 6-0 thrashing of Maribor in 2014/15 (in which Eden Hazard scored twice) and the 1-1 at home to Atletico in December 2017.

No neutrality

We are back in Spain this evening, but while both legs of the previous round were on another team’s pitch, the next two semi-final matches will have a proper home/away feel to them.

Tonight’s venue, the Alfredo Di Stefano stadium, is in Madrid’s suburbs (the Santiago Bernabeu is being refurbished) and Real have hosted first team games there since June 2020. The previous three encounters between these two teams took place on neutral soil.

On Saturday Thomas Tuchel became the only Chelsea coach to remain undefeated in his first 10 matches on the road. Away goals have added value in this competition, but it is the result that will really tally towards Wednesday’s decider in London. The Blues have lost the first leg in only one of our past seven Champions League semi-finals, to Monaco in 2003/04.

European glory half a century on

Next month brings the 50th anniversary of Chelsea’s maiden European title, the Cup Winners’ Cup – won by defeating this evening’s opponents. After drawing the first match at the Georgios Karaiskakis stadium in Piraeus, the port of Athens, on Wednesday 19 May 1971, Peter Osgood scored the winner in the Friday replay, two days later.

We met again in the 1998 Super Cup at Stade Luis II in Monaco, Gustavo Poyet’s goal securing the trophy. No team has played Real more times without losing than the Blues. On each occasion, including tonight, the stadium has been named after a man.

Champions League semi-final first leg fixtures

TuesdayReal Madrid v Chelsea 8pm (Madrid)

WednesdayParis Saint Germain v Manchester City 8pm (Paris)