Key FA Cup boost for Chelsea following Man City vs. Real Madrid Champions League match

Chelsea have a slight advantage over Manchester City heading into their FA Cup semi-final clash on Saturday. The Blues will face the defending champions City in the first semi-final, while Manchester United will take on Championship side Coventry City in the second semi-final. The matches are scheduled for April 20 and 21.

However, Pep Guardiola’s City will have less time to rest and prepare for the FA Cup tie due to their recent Champions League quarter-final match against Real Madrid on Wednesday evening. In the first leg in Spain last week, City managed a 3-3 draw, with Bernardo Silva scoring an early goal from a clever free-kick. Despite taking a 2-1 lead into half-time, City conceded two quick goals to Real Madrid.

Phil Foden and Josko Gvardiol then scored to put City ahead 3-2, but a late goal from Fede Valverde leveled the tie. The return leg at the Etihad ended in a 1-1 draw, forcing the match into extra time and eventually penalties, which City won.

This demanding schedule means that City will have less time to recover and prepare for their FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea, potentially giving Chelsea a slight advantage in terms of freshness and preparation.

In the end, Manchester City succumbed to a 4-3 defeat in the penalty shoot-out. Misses from Bernardo Silva and Mateo Kovacic, along with Luka Modric’s miss for Real Madrid, played a significant role in the outcome.

Former Chelsea player Antonio Rudiger sealed the victory for his team with a successful penalty that found the bottom left corner of the net. This match marked the first instance of penalties being used to determine a Champions League contest since the 2016 final, prior to which Arsenal’s shoot-out victory over FC Porto in the round of 16 last month had been the most recent occurrence.