Real Madrid vs Chelsea match facts

Chelsea's perfect start to the 2022/23 UEFA Women's Champions League will be put to the test at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stéfano as Real Madrid look to deny the English champions a fourth successive Group A victory that would ensure their early qualification for the quarter-finals.

The clubs met for the first time on Matchday 1, Chelsea winning 2-0 at Kingsmeadow with second-half goals from Sophie Ingle – a close-range header – and Erin Cuthbert's spectacular long-range shot from a tight angle – to make it nine points from nine while subjecting the visitors to their first European defeat of the season.

Chelsea will go through if they beat Madrid, or if they draw and Paris Saint-Germain do not beat Vllaznia. Chelsea will be confirmed in first place if they win and Paris do not. Madrid cannot go through or be eliminated on Matchday 4.

Madrid have already beaten English opponents at home this term, a Caroline Weir goal giving them a 1-0 win in round 1 of qualifying against a Manchester City side they also eliminated in round 2 last season (1-1 h, 1-0 a) in the Spanish club's debut tie in the competition.

Madrid, who finished third in their 2021/22 domestic league, had to negotiate two qualifying rounds to reach the group stage, getting past Sturm Graz (6-0 h) and Manchester City in the first before overcoming Norwegian Toppserien runners-up Rosenborg in the second (3-0 a, 2-1 h). They kicked off Group A by winning 2-0 away to Albanian champions Vllaznia before drawing 0-0 at home to Paris six days later.

Chelsea, as English champions for the third straight season, received a bye through to the group stage and kicked off their seventh successive UEFA Women's Champions League campaign with one of their most striking results, winning 1-0 away at Paris. They followed that with an 8-0 home dismantling of Albanian champions Vllaznia before keeping a third successive clean sheet in beating Madrid.

While Chelsea were dramatic group stage fallers last season, edged out on the final day in a three-way tiebreak with Wolfsburg and Juventus, debutants Madrid reached the quarter-finals, where they lost to domestic rivals Barcelona (1-3 h, 2-5 a).

Chelsea have unhappy memories of their most recent match against Spanish opposition outside London – the 4-0 defeat by Barcelona in the 2020/21 final in Gothenburg. They had got the better of another Spanish side, Atlético de Madrid, in that season's round of 16, winning 2-0 at home and drawing 1-1 away.

Players to watch

Ivana Andrés

The 28-year-old central defender is the captain of Real Madrid, the team she joined in 2020 from Levante.

Andrés made her 12th UEFA Women's Champions League appearance – and tenth start – in the 2-0 defeat at Chelsea last time out.

She spent nine years with hometown club Valencia before switching to local rivals Levante in 2018.

Andrés was a European champion with Spain at Under-17 level in successive years in 2010 and 2011.

She has been a senior international since 2015 and has been involved in three major tournaments – the FIFA Women's World Cups of 2015 and 2019 and UEFA Women's EURO 2022.

Guro Reiten

The 28-year-old Norwegian international midfielder has contributed four assists in Chelsea's Group A campaign – the most in the competition after three matchdays.

A Chelsea player since May 2019, when she joined from Norwegian side LSK Kvinner, Reiten has won the FA Women's Super League in all three of her seasons with the London club, adding two FA Women's Cup triumphs and two in the FA Women's League Cup.

A Norwegian champion with LSK Kvinner in 2017 and 2018, Reiten was halfway towards a hat-trick of Toppserien titles when she left the Lillestrøm club for Chelsea.

She was one of four Chelsea players selected in the 2021/22 FA WSL Team of the Year – along with Ann-Katrin Berger, Millie Bright and Sam Kerr.

A Norway international since 2014, Reiten has scored 17 goals in 75 appearances, playing at the UEFA Women's EUROs of 2017 and 2022 and the 2019 Women's World Cup.

Key facts

Real Madrid won all of their first five European matches this season before drawing with Paris on Matchday 2.

Madrid had not conceded a goal in four successive UEFA Women's Champions League group matches until their Matchday 3 defeat at Chelsea.

Las Blancas have kept five clean sheets in their seven European matches this season.

Madrid are unbeaten at home in Europe in 2022/23 (W3 D1).

Chelsea have lost only one of their last nine UEFA Women's Champions League games, winning six.

The London club have kept six clean sheets in their last seven European matches.