Real face Dortmund at home, PSG host Chelsea in first leg of Champions league quarterfinals
Real look to avoid another Dortmund exit
Madrid: Real Madrid has the perfect opportunity to make up for last season's Champions league exit at the hands of Borussia Dortmund when they meet again with a spot in the semifinals on the line.
Dortmund kept Madrid from reaching the final last season with a 4-3 aggregate victory, marked by striker Robert lewandowski's four goals in the opening leg.
This time, lewandowski is one of several Dortmund players out of the opening match, which will be at Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, where the restless home fans jeered Cristiano Ronaldo following a recent league slump.
Chelsea have better defence, more knowhow than PSG
Paris Saint-Germain is on the verge of its first Champions league semifinal in 19 years. In that context, Chelsea must feel like it was in the semis yesterday.
Having won the Champions league in 2012 and the Europa league last year, Chelsea has a pedigree that PSG envies. The Blues also have the tactical edge as well as more experience going into their quarterfinal first leg at Parc des Princes. Among the quarterfinalists, Chelsea boasts the joint tightest defense while PSG has the second most prolific offense behind Real Madrid. The Blues won't be unsettled if PSG dominates ball possession as they proved clinical on the fast break in the 6-0 rout of Arsenal on March 22.
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho led Porto and Inter Milan to Champions league glory in 2004 and 2010 respectively. PSG coach laurent Blanc has never won it as a player or coach. When Blanc played at Barcelona in the 1996-97 season, he worked with Mourinho, who was then an assistant to coach Bobby Robson.