April 13, (THEWILL) – Chelsea’s odds of pulling off a remarkable Champions League comeback were dashed after they were defeated 3-2 in extra time by Real Madrid in the reverse fixture of their UCL quarter-finals.
Los Blancos threw away a two-goal lead before scoring late to extend the tie for another 30 minutes, during which Karim Benzema once again stepped up to send them into the semi-finals with a 5-4 aggregate win over the current holders.
There were only 15 minutes on the clock when the reigning European champions took the lead. Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Timo Werner combined before slipping through Mason Mount, who smashed a ferocious effort past Courtois to give the visitors hope.
Real Madrid’s forwards were having trouble getting on the same page, with Vinicius Junior getting himself into promising positions in the channels on many occasions before throwing the ball away under minimal pressure.
Real’s frustrations continued as Benzema’s speculative half-volley struck Thiago Silva’s shoulder and floated over the bar before Casemiro shot over as Real went into the interval only one goal ahead on aggregate.
Tuchel’s side maintained their control after the interval, with Reece James’ strike deflected behind off Luka Modric, and Antonio Rudiger smashing a header into the far corner from the resultant corner to square the aggregate score.
Ferland Mendy’s low cross, which just eluded Benzema, finally brought the Bernabeu crowd to their feet as Real looked to reclaim the lead.
With a whipped volley from range, Federico Valverde tested his chances but came dangerously close to ripping the mid-renovated roof off the building.
Real could have been punished for their misses when Chelsea had the ball in hand net almost immediately down the other end. N’Golo Kante and Marcos Alonso led a rapid counter-attack, with Dani Carvajal saving Alonso’s initial effort but failing to stop the Blues left-back’s rebound.
The goal was overturned as replays revealed that Carvajal’s block had deflected into Alonso’s hand before his second strike.
At the other end, Benzema went over the bar before Werner scored Chelsea’s third goal of the night. Before his deflected shot trickled past Courtois, the German sprinted onto Mateo Kovacic’s wonderful through ball and sat Casemiro and David Alaba on their backsides.
When Havertz rose highest from a corner, the lanky Belgian threw up a strong hand to deny the Blues their fourth goal, and Real levelled the tie moments later through substitute Rodrygo. Modric’s looped pass over the top landed perfectly to the Brazilian, who volleyed it home.
Christian Pulisic squandered two golden chances to take the win in stoppage time, firing just wide twice, and the game headed to extra time after a back-and-forth second leg.
After 96 minutes, Los Blancos retook the lead on aggregate after catching Chelsea napping, with Vinicius crossing for Benzema to score his third header of the tie, rising over Rudiger, who slipped at a crucial time.
With seven minutes remaining, Hakim Ziyech sent a ferocious strike towards Courtois’ near post, but the former Blues goalkeeper was equal to it, and Kai Havertz’s free header from a perfect James cross sailed agonisingly wide.
Chelsea’s final half-chance came from Jorginho’s dragged strike after Real failed to clear a corner, but Carlo Ancelotti’s side held on to win a hard-fought UEFA Champions League tie.
Madrid’s big games keep on coming, as they travel to Sevilla in La Liga on Sunday. On that same day, Chelsea will play Crystal Palace in the FA Cup semi-finals, which will be another huge matchday for the Blues.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
