Chelsea vs Real Madrid LIVE: Result and reaction from Champions League quarter-final as Blues crash out
Chelsea 0-2 Real Madrid (0-4 agg): The Blues failed to overturn a two-goal deficit against the current European champions
Real Madrid breezed past Chelsea into the semi-finals of the Champions League with Rodrygo’s double securing a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge for a 4-0 aggregate victory that sets up a likely mouth-watering clash with Manchester City.
Trailing 2-0 from last week’s clash in the Bernabeu, Chelsea had their moments but failed to take their chances in the opening half and at the start of the second and were made to pay as Rodrygo sent the silky Spaniards through.
He opened the scoring in the 58th minute and tapped in again in the 80th to spark a mass exodus of Chelsea fans.
N’Golo Kante had twice come close to cutting the deficit and Real’s former Chelsea keeper Thibaut Courtois made a crucial save just before half-time to frustrate his old club. And when Rodrygo finished off a sweeping counter-attack there was no way back for the London club who have lost all four games since Frank Lampard returned as interim manager.
Relive all the action as Chelsea lose to Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-final second leg:
The Champions League has exposed a key flaw in Chelsea’s confused thinking
It may be a parable of Todd Boehly’s Chelsea, a club where it is possible to have both too many players and too few, where footballers are bought but they can’t be used, where strategy was eschewed in favour of scattergun spending.
When Real Madrid visit Stamford Bridge, there would be strong grounds for Frank Lampard to select Benoit Badiashile, except for one minor issue: he is ineligible. The Frenchman is one of the few signings to make a promising start to a Chelsea career this season, but he is unavailable. As Kalidou Koulibaly is injured, as Ben Chilwell is suspended, as Levi Colwill is out on loan along with Malang Sarr, Chelsea’s sextet of left-sided defenders is reduced to one: Marc Cucurella, a disastrous signing and, indeed, a reason why their contingent is so depleted.
The Spaniard came on when Koulibaly limped off in the Bernabeu last week: he was caught out of position when Chilwell, in an attempt to compensate, was sent off. And so Lampard may have to pick a back four for the rematch. He might have done anyway – it is a way to incorporate an extra attacker for a team who need to score goals – but the tactics could be dictated by a Chelsea-esque sense of chaos.
The Champions League has exposed a key flaw in Chelsea’s confused thinking
Real Madrid head to Stamford Bridge in the Champions League and Frank Lampard has limited options to choose from to mount a comeback, despite the extravagant spending in the January transfer window
Real ‘motivated’ for tonight’s clash says Ancelotti
”We are fine, motivated, as always.” said Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti,
“These are important matches in an important competition. We are thinking that we have to play a full game. We have 90 minutes left and in this type of competition anything can happen.
“We are ready to play the best we can.”
Chelsea vs Real Madrid
Chelsea are without a win in their last six matches across all competitions but their most recent Uefa Champions League record is much better.
They have won nine of their last 11 matches in the competitions at Stamford Bridge (D1 L1), including each of their last three home fixtures.
Chelsea vs Real Madrid
Real Madrid, like Chelsea, have won nine of their last 11 Uefa Champions League matches (D1 L1). They have, however, also come out on top in each of their last 10 quarter-final ties in the competition.
Chelsea vs Real Madrid
Chelsea are looking to improve their recent record against Spanish teams at Stamford Bridge.
They’ve only won two of their last eight Uefa Champions League fixtures with La Liga sides in west London (D3 L3) and were beaten 3-1 there by Real last season, with Karim Benzema scoring a hat-trick.
Chelsea’s one remaining weapon to give a desperate season some meaning
Todd Boehly heading into the Chelsea changing rooms after the weekend defeat to Brighton made waves, but it wasn’t an entirely unprecedented event.
Whether or not that makes it an advisable strategy is up for debate, but one way or another - by carrot, stick or cliche - a message would undoubtedly have been delivered that rather better is required.
Indeed, there are only two potential reasons for board members to descend on the players in that manner, says former Chelsea defender Gary Cahill, who won two Premier League titles and the Champions League with the club.
Chelsea’s one remaining weapon to give a desperate season some meaning
Chelsea face Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-final second leg on Tuesday night
Chelsea vs Real Madrid
Despite Chelsea’s awful form Stamford Bridge remains a fortress for them in Europe.
Across the last two seasons, Chelsea’s only home Champions League defeat was against Real Madrid in April 2022, and no away team has ever won two Champions League games at Stamford Bridge.
Lampard on the first leg
“We had opportunities to score last week, but at the same time there were a lot of things we could have done better in that game,” said Chelsea boss Frank Lampard.
“I felt that in-game, and I feel it even more having reviewed the game. There were things we wanted to do from the outset that we didn’t do well enough throughout the game.
“That’s not just the physical side, it was our use of the ball. We can improve on that and we have to improve on that to have a chance of turning this tie around. We have worked on that and hopefully you see the fruits of that in the game.
“I am clear with the players with that. I know they have the capacity to give this a good go, but we must get our game right and be better than we were last week.”
Chelsea vs Real Madrid
Chelsea know that only a spectacular night at Stamford Bridge will be enough to get them into the semi-finals of the Champions League.
Can they pull off an unexpected victory or will Real Madrid ease into the final four?
Chelsea vs Real Madrid team changes
Frank Lampard makes four changes to the Chelsea team that lost 2-0 at the Bernabeu last time out in the Champions League. Trevoh Chalobah replaces Kalidou Koulibaly in defence while Marc Cucurella takes the left wingback role vacated by the suspended Ben Chilwell.
Up top Joao Felix and Raheem Sterling are dropped with Conor Gallagher and Kai Havertz brought in.
Carlo Ancelotti names an unchanged Real Madrid side. They won in Madrid and he’s confident that they can win in London too.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments