Real Madrid’s pursuit of a sixth UEFA Champions League title in 10 years continues this evening as they take on Chelsea in this quarterfinal first leg clash.
They may be European royalty, but Real Madrid have fallen off the pace domestically in recent weeks. Carlo Ancelotti’s side are currently 13 points behind La Liga leaders Barcelona, which means added focus on their quest for yet more continental glory.
That makes for a worrying prospect for a vulnerable-looking Chelsea side that is once again in transition following the re-appointment of Frank Lampard as caretaker manager.
Lampard hasn’t had the best of starts since returning to take the helm at Stamford Bridge as Graham Potter’s replacement, and his goal-shy team look likely to struggle against a Real Madrid side with nothing else on their minds.
Below, we’ll outline the best live TV streaming services to use to watch the game live wherever you are in the world.
Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema has been in superb form this season, notching up 25 goals in 32 competitive appearances.
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Real Madrid vs. Chelsea: When and where?
Real Madrid host Chelsea at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium on Wednesday, April 12. Kickoff is set for 9 p.m. CET local time in Spain (8 p.m. BST in the UK, 3 p.m. ET or 12 p.m. PT in the US, and at 5 a.m. AEST on Thursday, April 13 in Australia).
How to watch the Real Madrid vs. Chelsea game online from anywhere using a VPN
If you find yourself unable to view the game locally, you may need a different way to watch the game — that’s where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on game day by encrypting your traffic, and it’s also a great idea if you’re traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network, and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.
With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the game. So if your internet provider or mobile carrier has stuck you with an IP address that incorrectly shows your location in a blackout zone, a VPN can correct that problem by giving you an IP address in your correct, nonblackout area. Most VPNs, like our Editors’ Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this.
Using a VPN to watch or stream sports is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US, UK and Canada, as long as you have a legitimate subscription to the service you’re streaming. You should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks: Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it deems to be circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions.
Looking for other options? Be sure to check out some of the other great VPN deals taking place right now.
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ExpressVPN is our current best VPN pick for people who want a reliable and safe VPN, and it works on a variety of devices. It’s normally $13 per month, and you can sign up for ExpressVPN and save 49% plus get three months of access for free — the equivalent of $6.67 per month — if you get an annual subscription.
Note that ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Livestream the Real Madrid vs. Chelsea game in the US
Wednesday’s big match at the Bernabéu will be available to stream on Paramount Plus, which has live broadcast rights in the US for every UEFA Champions League and Europa League fixture for the 2022/23 season.
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Paramount Plus has two main subscription plans in the US: Essential for $5 per month ($50 per year if paid annually) and Premium for $10 per month ($100 per year). Both offer coverage of all Champions League fixtures this season.
The cheaper Essential option has ads for on-demand streaming and lacks live CBS feeds as well as the ability to download shows to watch offline later. Newcomers to the service can take advantage of a 30-day free trial, while students may qualify for a 25% discount.
Read our Paramount Plus review.
Livestream the Real Madrid vs. Chelsea game in the UK
Champions League rights in the UK are with BT Sport, with this game set to be broadcast on the BT Sport 1 and BT Sport Ultimate 4K channels. If you already have BT Sport as part of your TV package, you can stream the game via the BT Sport app, but cord-cutters will want to get set up with a BT Sport Monthly Pass account to stream the game.
If you’re already a BT TV customer you can currently access BT Sport channels for £10 per month. BT Broadband customers can watch the channels via the BT Sport app for £16.
If you don’t want to be locked down to a lengthy contract, there’s also the option of BT Sport Monthly Pass, which costs £30 per month and lets you stream all four BT Sport channels across iOS and Android devices, plus a wide range of set-top boxes and smart TVs. It’s a rolling one-month contract that you can cancel anytime.
Livestream the Real Madrid vs. Chelsea game in Canada
If you want to stream this game live in Canada, you’ll need to subscribe to DAZN Canada. The service has exclusive broadcast rights to every Champions League match this season.
A DAZN subscription currently costs CA$25 a month or CA$200 a year and will also give you access to Europa League and EFL Championship soccer, Six Nations rugby and WTA tennis.
As well as dedicated apps for iOS and Android, there’s a wide range of support for set-top boxes and smart TVs.
Livestream the Real Madrid vs. Chelsea game in Australia
Football fans Down Under can watch this UEFA Champions League fixture on streaming service Stan Sport, which is showing every single Champions League game live in Australia this season.
Stan Sport will set you back AU$10 per month (on top of a AU$10 Stan subscription), but the streaming service is currently offering a seven-day free trial.
A subscription will also give you access to Europa League and Europa Conference League action, as well as international rugby and Formula E.
Quick tips for streaming the Champions League using a VPN
- With four variables at play — your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN — your experience and success when streaming Champions League matches may vary.
- If you don’t see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the “search for city or country” option.
- If you’re having trouble getting the game after you’ve turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log into your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs — like Roku — don’t have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you’ll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you’re using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.
- All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network’s sports app, you’ll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help, since both devices will appear to be in the correct location.
- And remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you’re using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We normally recommend Brave.
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