However, manager Thomas Tuchel believes they are doing so at a significant disadvantage to their opponents, a fact he attributed to the Premier League. Tuchel said to SkySports that teams are allowed five substitutes in La Liga, opposed to three in England.

"Second, we confront a significant physical disadvantage because Real Madrid has a full calendar year with five changes and we play in the most demanding league, we play the most matches throughout the season and into 2022, so it is not always simple to play a physical game."

"We are a squad that requires physicality, acuity, commitment, and investment in order to be truly outstanding. We were unable to do so sufficiently during the last match."

He did agree, though, that this was not the only reason for Chelsea's defeat in the first leg, attributing some of the blame to Real Madrid.

"This was also owing to their ability to slow down the game and exert control over the contest through ball possession."

Due to the pandemic last season, the Premier League permitted five substitutes but reverted to three at the start of this season. Having said that, if Chelsea advances to the Champions League semi-finals, there is a strong possibility that the Premier League will host three of the four semi-finalists.