Chelsea vs Real Madrid LIVE: Champions League result, final score and reaction as Benzema scores hat-trick
Chelsea 1-3 Real Madrid: Re action from the first leg of the quarter-final clash at Stamford Bridge
Karim Benzema scored a scintillating hat-trick to put Real Madrid in control of their Champions League quarter-final against Chelsea, with a 3-1 victory at Stamford Bridge.
The Frenchman netted two sublime headers in the first half and, although Kai Havertz pulled one back for Chelsea with a header of his own before half-time, Benzema capitalised on a clanger from Edouard Mendy early in the second period to make it 3-1.
It was an incredibly entertaining, open game in west London but the Blues have it all to do in Madrid next week to take the defence of their Champions League trophy to the semi-final stage.
The contest is a rematch of one of last season’s semi-finals, where the Premier League side emerged as 3-1 aggregate winners, but this time they will have to produce an almighty European comeback to set up a last-four clash with either Manchester City or Atletico Madrid.
Follow all the reaction from Stamford Bridge below:
Real Madrid’s Thibaut Courtois says Chelsea are ‘one of world’s best clubs’ ahead of Champions League clash
Thibaut Courtois has urged Chelsea’s eventual new owners to take the Stamford Bridge helm aware that they are buying “one of the best clubs in the world”.
The Belgium goalkeeper will be back on his old Stamford Bridge stomping ground when Real Madrid pitch up for Wednesday’s Champions League quarter-final first leg.
Four rival consortiums are locked in negotiations to buy Chelsea from Roman Abramovich, who is selling the west London club amid Russia’s continued invasion of Ukraine.
And the 29-year-old Courtois called on Chelsea’s suitors to keep the Blues at the top of the world game.
Thibaut Courtois says Chelsea are ‘one of the best clubs in the world’
The ex-Blues goalkeeper will be back on his old stomping ground for Wednesday’s quarter-final first leg
Chelsea vs Real Madrid
Chelsea and Real Madrid have both scored 17 and conceded five goals in their eight Champions League matches this season.
Real Madrid have faced Chelsea five times without beating them. It’s the most games against a single opponent that the Spainsh team have played without registering a win.
Chelsea vs Real Madrid
Edouard Mendy kept nine clean sheets in 12 Champions League matches last season, the most in a campaign by a goalkeeper for an English side in the competition’s history.
He has added another five from his seven appearances this term, conceding only two goals.
Chelsea vs Real Madrid
Chelsea have won their last three contests at this stage, and eight of the last nine.
This season, the Blues looked set to take first place in Group H heading into the final round of matches after a 4-0 win at home to Juventus in their penultimate fixture had given the English club the head-to-head advantage over their Italian rivals following a 1-0 defeat in Turin.
However, a Zenit goal four minutes into added time earned a 3-3 draw that left Chelsea on 13 points, two behind Juventus.
That was fortunate as the London club made it four victories from four at Stamford Bridge with a 2-0 first-leg win against Lille and then sealed a spot in the quarter-finals with a 2-1 success in France.
Chelsea vs Real Madrid
Excitement levels are building inside of Stamford Bridge ahead of kick off.
Chelsea vs Real Madrid
Hakim Ziyech spoke about last season’s Champions League victory over Real Madrid and says tonight’s match will be a totally different scenario.
“It’s a totally different situation from last year, a different atmosphere, a different time,” he says. “They’ve [Real Madrid] also improved as a squad, with some young players as well, so it’s a totally different game than last year.
“We know how difficult it can be against Real Madrid. We played them in the semi-final last year and now we play them in the last eight, and there will be a crowd back. So the motivation will be different, the discipline should be different, but the most important thing is that you must enjoy it.
“Those kind of games – if you don’t enjoy them, you’d better choose another sport because these are the games you dream of. It will be a hard game, a physical game, a mind game, but one to enjoy from the first minute to the last.”
Thomas Tuchel hoping Carlo Ancelotti can be on touchline at Stamford Bridge
Thomas Tuchel hopes Carlo Ancelotti can shake off his positive Covid test in time to be on the touchline for Chelsea’s Champions League clash with Real Madrid on Wednesday.
Real’s former Chelsea boss Ancelotti did not travel with Madrid to London on Tuesday, as he continues to return positive coronavirus tests.
The 62-year-old still hopes to return a negative test in time to fly to London for the quarter-final first leg at Stamford Bridge.
Ancelotti’s absence would doubtless prove a blow to Madrid, but Chelsea boss Tuchel still hopes his counterpart can be in the dugout.
Tuchel missed Chelsea’s Club World Cup semi-final after a positive Covid test, but was able to jet out to Abu Dhabi in time to coach the Blues to their triumph over Palmeiras in the final on 12 February.
Thomas Tuchel hoping Carlo Ancelotti can be on the touchline at Stamford Bridge
The Italian is still returning positive coronavirus tests
Chelsea vs Real Madrid
Both teams beat French opponents in this season’s round of 16, Karim Benzema’s hat-trick inspiring Real Madrid to a comeback victory against Paris Saint-Germain while Chelsea eased past Lille.
This is one of two 2021/22 quarter-finals between former European Cup winners, Benfica’s tie against Liverpool is the other.
Chelsea vs Real Madrid
Holders Chelsea are aiming to secure a fifth successive knockout round victory in the Champions League for the first time in their history.
The Blues have progressed in eight of their previous nine ties at this stage in the competition. The only exception was against Man Utd in 2010/11 when they lost 3-1 on aggregate.
Chelsea vs Real Madrid
Eden Hazard played for Chelsea between 2012 and 2019 before joining Real Madrid. He scored 110 goals in 352 games in all competitions for the Blues are there have been rumours about his possible return to the club.
Hazard hasn’t replicated his Chelsea form for Real and his career in Spain has been tainted with injuries. He has not played since coming on as a late substitute in a 3-0 home victory against Alavés on 19th February and will miss both legs of this quarter-final tie.
The Belgian underwent surgery to remove a metal plate in his right fibula on 29th March and is expected to be out for a month.
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