Chelsea were dealt a disappointing blow in the first leg of their Champions League Quarter Final against Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Chelsea Football Club suffered a frustrating defeat in the opening leg of their highly anticipated Champions League Quarter Final clash against Spanish giants Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
The Blues initially looked to create opportunities on the counter-attack, but it was the home side that dominated the proceedings in the opening 45 minutes of play. Despite a valiant effort from the London outfit, they found themselves trailing by a solitary goal after 21 minutes when Karim Benzema slotted home from close range after Kepa Arrizabalaga had saved a Vinicius Junior effort.
Chelsea’s task was made all the more difficult when Ben Chilwell was shown a red card for a foul on Rodrygo, who was clean through on goal. The visitors’ misery was then compounded when Marco Ascensio doubled Real Madrid’s advantage, following a set-piece that saw the Chelsea defence switch off.
In the post-match press conference, Chelsea manager Frank Lampard was forthright about the reasons for his team’s defeat. Lampard attributed the loss to a lack of belief on the part of his players, stating: “There’s a little bit of a lack of belief. I think the players need to understand how good they are and what they can do. Maybe we’re a bit short on that at the minute.”
Despite the setback, Lampard remains optimistic that his team can turn things around in the return fixture next week at Stamford Bridge. The Chelsea boss will be hoping his players can produce a much-improved performance in front of their own fans, and pull off a stunning upset against the current Spanish champions.