Trevor Steven: Chelsea must rise above off-field uncertainty against Real Madrid
Chelsea go into their Champions League quarter-final with Real Madrid in a uniquely challenging position, because of the sanctions placed on their owner Roman Abramovich.
Having been in a comfortable position for so long, there is now uncertainty surrounding the future of the club which will be affecting it from top to bottom.
Until it is resolved it will be a constant conversation around Chelsea and means that they are having to face fixtures like Wednesday’s with one hand tied behind their back.
The challenge for manager Thomas Tuchel is to make sure the players’ focus remains on matters on the field and that they respond with fighting spirit.
This situation demands togetherness and Tuchel will be looking for his leaders to step up and his array of attacking players to deliver on the biggest stage.
When Real Madrid take to the field the whole world is watching, so there will be extra attention on holders Chelsea in this tie.
This sort of game is also a barometer of a club’s level – as Paris Saint-Germain found in the last round – but by the same token a win can really elevate a team.
We saw what Real Madrid can do in the last 16 against PSG, when Karim Benzema scored three goals in 17 minutes to turn the tie on its head and send them through.
Pound for pound, I don’t think there is a better striker than Benzema at the moment. He has carried the club since Cristiano Ronaldo left and has 34 goals already this season.
Real Madrid, more by being methodical than brilliant, have been racking up the wins under former Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti.
That consistency has carried them to the top of LaLiga while their rivals Barcelona and Atletico Madrid have had to overcome upheaval, and we know their quality in Europe.
Chelsea had been in great form too until a shock 4-1 home defeat to Brentford on Saturday. Unforeseen results like this can happen sometimes – Brentford did well and took their chances while the Blues were wasteful – and Tuchel didn’t make a song and dance about it.
But how a team responds to these setbacks is the measure of them. Chelsea can’t allow the Brentford loss to affect them, and Tuchel will be driving home positive messages this week.
Following their 4-0 thumping by Barcelona in El Clasico, Real Madrid bounced back at the weekend with a win at Celta Vigo. Chelsea must now steady their ship, only they are facing much tougher opposition.
I think teams probably prefer an away game first at this stage of the Champions League so that they know what they have to do at home in the return game.
Being at home first means Chelsea will have to get on the front foot and take the game to Real Madrid but will at least have the majority of the crowd behind them.
In Tuchel, they also have one of the best managers around in their dugout. Along with Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp and Antonio Conte – the others in the top four of the Premier League – he is in that elite bracket.
When he arrived at Chelsea in January last year he inherited a team that had gone off the boil and got them cooking again, taking them all the way to Champions League glory.
That recent success can also help in that it gives them experience of these big European ties and the satisfaction of lifting the trophy is still fresh in the memory.
Tuchel’s cup record is supreme and he is a master of preparing his teams for knockout football. He won’t face many harder tests than against Real Madrid, starting on Wednesday.
Trevor Steven is a former England footballer who played at two World Cups and two European Championships. @TrevorSteven63