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:
Sublime Karim Benzema hat-trick condemns Chelsea to Champions League first-leg defeat
A night when Karim Benzema rose above it, and also undercut Chelsea.
That is the main storyline from a remarkable night of Champions League football at Stamford Bridge, as the Real Madrid great became just the second player to score hat-tricks in the competition in successive knock-out games.
The only other player to do so was the player he supported in Cristiano Ronaldo, which itself symbolises how Benzema has now taken centre stage, at the age of 34.
Such calls to history lent an element of foreboding to Chelsea’s future that go way beyond their future in this season’s competition after a 3-1 home defeat.
There is at least some doubt over whether the club can quite be the same force they were during the Roman Abramovich era, as prospective new owner Todd Boehly watched from the stands.
Sublime Karim Benzema hat-trick condemns Chelsea to Champions League first-leg defeat
Chelsea 1-3 Real Madrid: Benzema netted two brilliant headers and capitalised on an Edouard Mendy howler to put the Spaniards in control of the quarter-final
Chelsea 1 - 3 Real Madrid
Karim Benzema becomes the fourth player to score a hat-trick in back-to-back Champions League appearances after Cristiano Ronaldo (2017), Lionel Messi (2016) and Luiz Adriano (2014).
The Real Madrid striker is also the first ever player to score a European treble against Chelsea in any competition.
Chelsea 1 - 3 Real Madrid: Player ratings as Karim Benzema hits another Champions League hat-trick
Real Madrid have one foot in the Champions League semi-finals after Karim Benzema notched another hat-trick, as Los Blancos beat Chelsea 3-1 at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea started fast and created several early openings, but the best chance fell to Real’s Vinicius Jr - he struck the crossbar with a deflected effor inside ten mintues.
Despite home possession it was the visitors who had the far greater penetration and Karim Benzema pounced with two incredible headers in the space of three minutes, first a powerful effort after a one-two with Vini Jr, then a well-directed effort back across goal and in from Luka Modric’s cross.
Kai Havertz scored a fine header of his own to reduce the gap, but a terrible defensive blunder right after half-time saw Benzema roll in his hat-trick and reestablish the two-goal lead - which the Spanish side maintained despite a slew of second-half efforts from the Blues.
Chelsea vs Real Madrid player ratings as Benzema hits hat-trick
Chelsea 1-3 Real Madrid: Benzema treble has the reigning champions on the brink despite Havertz header
Chelsea 1 - 3 Real Madrid
Real Madrid defeat Chelsea for the first time in their history, thanks to a hat-trick from Karim Benzema!
Full-time: Chelsea 1 - 3 Real Madrid
90+5 mins: Chelsea have a lot of work to do in the second leg. They weren’t at their best tonight and have been punished by the ever clinical Karim Benzema who completed a hat-trick inside of 46 minutes.
Kai Havertz’s goal keeps Chelsea in the tie but they have to go to the Bernabeu and score at least twice without reply. Chelsea are in a poor dip of form and Thomas Tuchel has work to do to rectify that before the meeting in Madrid next week.
Chelsea 1 - 3 Real Madrid
90+3 mins: There’s the chance for Chelsea! The feed the ball up to Lukaku who leans on the defender and sets the ball across to Ziyech. He laces a left footed effort at goal but smokes it over the crossbar from inside the box!
Chelsea 1 - 3 Real Madrid
90 mins: Five minutes of added time to play at Stamford Bridge. There’s still time for Chelsea to cut the deficit but Real Madrid are making it difficult. They staying down after most tackles.
Chelsea 1 - 3 Real Madrid
87 mins: Carvajal fouls Mount on the left wing and Chelsea have the opportunity to whip a cross into the box. Reece James swings it into the middle and sends it too close to Courtois who plucks the ball out of the air.
Time is running out for Chelsea to get a second goal.
Chelsea 1 - 3 Real Madrid
84 mins: Valverde goes down off the ball and the referee stops the game as Chelsea put together a decent attack on the left. The Chelsea fans are appalled at the decision and let the referee know with a chorus of boos.
Gareth Bale comes on to replace Karim Benzema for Real Madrid.
Chelsea 1 - 3 Real Madrid
81 mins: Ruben Loftus-Cheek brings the ball back up to the pitch for Chelsea and finds Mount in the box. He turns the ball towards goal but Nacho is there to put the block in! It will be a huge moment for Chelsea if they can get themselves another goal.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments