Playing with one more player, home team Real Madrid easily beat Chelsea 2-0 in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals.
N'Golo Kante's return gave Chelsea a boost in the Champions League, helping the English side start the game with enthusiasm at the Bernabeu. But after failing to capitalise on their opening chances in the early minutes, Frank Lampard's men lost control of the game. Real's experience in the Champions League was demonstrated with Karim Benzema's first-half lead. Early in the second half, the home side had an extra man when Ben Chilwell was sent off. Taking advantage of their numerical advantage, Real added another goal through Marco Asensio, creating an advantage ahead of the second leg.
Benzema (right) celebrates the opening goal with Vinicius Jr, at the Bernabeu stadium on April 12.
Early on, the trio of Kante, Mateo Kovacic and Enzo Fernandez were on equal terms with Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Federico Valverde - who were not starters against Villarreal last weekend. Kante's reading of the game and pace opened up an opportunity for Joao Felix in the third minute, but the Portuguese forward was not quick enough to break clear of Eder Militao. Felix was unable to beat Thibaut Courtois from tight angles.
Kante's mobility helped Chelsea dominate the opening 10 minutes, before Benzema warned the visitors by dribbling past Kepa and finishing right at him. The French striker had already sunk Chelsea in the quarter-finals last season, scoring four goals in two matches. This season, Benzema continued to cause trouble for the London team, with the opening goal in the 21st minute. Dani Carvajal passed a pass to Vinicius Jr to finish with one touch, before Benzema scored the rebound.
The game became more lively after Real's goal. Minutes after conceding, Chelsea almost equalized, when Raheem Sterling tapped the ball into the net right at Thibaut Courtois. But after that situation, Real pressed fiercely and did not let the visitors play. The home team would have had a second goal, if Thiago Silva had not saved on the goal line after Vinicius Jr beat Wesley Fofana and Kepa.
The clear chances continued to come early in the second half, as Vinicius Jr. repeatedly got past Reece James. The Brazilian winger passed back to Benzema with a well-placed pass, allowing Luka Modric to run up and curl the ball just over the bar.
Real did not have to wait long to take the lead. From Valverde's pass in the 59th minute, Rodrygo broke free and faced Kepa. Ben Chilwell was forced to commit a foul on the edge of the box to prevent a certain goal. The England international was shown a straight red card, forcing Chelsea to defend for the last half hour of the match.
Real added another goal, after Marco Asensio's shot from outside the penalty area in the 74th minute. Ancelotti's team had reason to regret even though they won 2-0. Because with the advantage of more players, they could have scored more goals to avoid risks in the second leg at Stamford Bridge. Last season, Real beat Chelsea 3-1 in the first leg but were 0-3 down in the second leg and almost eliminated if not for the shining moments of Rodrygo and Benzema.
Chelsea still have a chance, as they play the second leg at home. Chelsea's first two Champions League titles came after a mid-season change of manager (2012 and 2021). This season, the sacking of Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter, making way for Frank Lampard, could give Chelsea fans hope for a third Champions League title. But first, Lampard needs to solve the problem of the Blues' attack. Since his arrival at the beginning of the month, Chelsea have yet to score.
According to VNE
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