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By Ebenezer Bajela.
Former Chelsea midfielder, Mikel Obi, is banking on the Premier League side to cause an upset when they face Real Madrid in the first-leg quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League game at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday (today), PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The London club have had to endure a miserable season in the Premier League as they currently sit 11th on the log with 39 points after 30 matches.
With just 10 victories and nine draws, Chelsea sacked Graham Potter and brought back former player and manager Frank Lampard.
The 2022/23 season has not been the best of the season for the Spanish giants either with manager Carlo Ancelotti being linked with an exit from the club.
Should this campaign prove to be Ancelotti’s farewell campaign in the Blancos dugout, it would take a miracle for the Italian to depart on the back of another La Liga and Champions League double, with a 3-2 defeat to Villarreal at the weekend handing Barcelona the chance to move 13 points clear at the top.
As their Catalonian counterparts continue to ride off into the sunset, Real Madrid have earmarked Champions League title number 15 as priority number one, as they aim to eliminate an English team from a knockout tie for the fourth time in a row.
With so much at stake for both sides, Mikel, who represented Chelsea from 2006 to 2017, said he hoped that his former club can cause an upset at the Bernabeu and probably eliminate the Spanish giants.
“When it comes to the remaining games in the Premier League I think Frank Lampard has got nothing to lose but when you look at the Champions League every body thinks it is going to be a Madrid win but I hope that Chelsea can be able to do it,” told Dubai Eye 103.8 Sport.
“When you look at the two teams and considering who is in form and who is not in form, I think Madrid are playing very well and they just beat Barcelona 4-0 at home. If you look at both teams and size them up you will believe that Madrid are going to go through but I hope my old team can do it and with Frank Lampard in charge I hope he can bring back the magic to the club.
“It is going to be a tough game for Chelsea playing against Madrid but I want to give Chelsea a chance.”