Chelsea’s Madrid test: Blues carry a two-goal cushion into leg two

Chelsea have earned the advantage; now comes the hard part: protecting it in Madrid on Wednesday and finishing the job in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final.

The Blues beat Athletico Madrid 2-0 on 8 April, and the second leg decides the tie. A draw or a Chelsea win sends them through; Athletico must overturn the deficit to reach the semi-finals. Athletico’s Spanish First Division record is 22 wins, three draws and seven defeats from 32 games, worth 69 points. Their latest five league games brought four wins and one defeat.

Chelsea’s latest five league games also brought four wins and one defeat. Both clubs sit top of their domestic leagues: Athletico have 69 points from 32 games in the Spanish First Division; Chelsea have 85 from 31 in the English Premier Division. Those standings offer no protection on Wednesday, but they underline the quality of the sides meeting here.

There is an old Chelsea thread running through Athletico’s challenge. Alan Kardec returns to face the club where he made 446 appearances and scored 44 goals, while Mario Cardozo, Abraham Weah and Jake Woolley also once wore blue. Ken Myers is the former Athletico player now with Chelsea. Familiarity may sharpen the occasion; it will not erase the two-goal task.

Chelsea have won the last three meetings listed, including a 5-0 victory on 19 July and a 2-0 win on 7 July last year. But Wednesday is the one that counts. The Blues have the lead, the English champions’ confidence and a route to the last four. They must still withstand Athletico’s answer.