UCL Report: Real Madrid 2-3 Chelsea

1 year ago
by hesgoaldd

Chelsea and Real Madrid made a classic Champions League game as Carlo Ancelotti’s side knocked out defending champions Carlo Ancelotti to advance to the semi-finals thanks to the overtime winner Karim Benzema.

Both teams were out of the blocks with Real Madrid who had a slightly better opening exchange. Vinicius Jr rotated Reese James like a beyblade in the first few minutes, securing a dangerous free kick on the edge of the penalty area in the 10th minute. But Karim Benzema’s attempt ended poorly.

Chelsea presented an offensive threat of their own – Timo Werner and Kai Havertz were able to pry Madrid’s defense away two minutes later. Tony Rudiger nodded from the corner that followed when he was likely to test Thibaut Courtois.

The Blues didn’t have to wait long for the opening goal of the night, as Mason Mount halved the lead in the 15th minute. A Ruben Loftus-Cheek pass gently bounced off Werner into the Englishman’s way and Real Madrid’s defense broke away like the Red Sea to finish emphatically from the edge of the penalty area. .

Thomas Tuchel’s men controlled the ball but Madrid regained some composure, sat deep for a while and tried to shoot at the counter. Vinicius was their favorite director but James had some measure of overcoming his shaky start.

Chelsea got a little frustrated when Rudiger grabbed his luck from 35 yards trying to repeat his goal against Brentford recently. The game also got a bit tricky, Havertz and Kroos narrowly entered after Benzema picked a booking for a foul on Kante.

Neither side made further progress as the break came with the match meticulously prepared. The interval gave Tuchel an opportunity to reorganize his team’s efforts and paid immediate dividends after the restart. Dani Carvajal’s clap gave Chelsea a corner kick that was not cleared properly and James hit a dangerous shot in the 49th minute.

The referee gave a corner kick but replays showed no touch to Real Madrid, it was crucial as Rudiger secured the end of the resulting delivery to make Chelsea level on aggregate.

Real Madrid shook but wasn’t asleep, James had to be vigilant for Benzema’s last minute intervention two minutes later. The Frenchman got into action, managing to make an excellent save from Edward Mendy with a free kick from 25 yards.

The game opened with the results level, with both sides laying all their cards on the table. Havertz had half a chance that he was dragged from the left channel into the penalty area. Ferland Mendy’s cross before the hour mark was begging to be used at the other end. An hour later, it was Fede Valverde who skewed a cross from Carvajal just wide.

Marcos Alonso thought he gave Chelsea the lead after two minutes of a quick split. Mount stole Mendy from the ball in midfield and Kante played at left-back who fired a shot at Carvajal. The ball rebounded from Alonso and he hit the counter with his right foot. Replays showed his arm was injured before the second attempt and the target was disqualified.

Madrid responded in equal measure. Benzema’s header appeared to have come from a cross from the left, but it bounced off the crossbar to preserve the tie. Rudiger had to be on high alert to deny Vinicius the chance to score from a near-perfect pass from Luka Modric.

It was a moment of sheer quality that put Chelsea ahead for the first time in the match in the 75th minute. Some excellent reinforcements on the left from Alonso and Kovacic led to the latter playing in Timo Werner. The German looked up and saw no choice and decided to take matters into his own hands. He cheated on Casemiro and Alaba before slipping to the finish at Courtois in the past to make it 3-0 that night.

The roller coaster didn’t end there as Modric delivered his own masterpiece in a stellar season to bring Madrid back up to par. His curling out-of-shoe passes were perfect to fall at Rodrygo’s feet to put Ancelotti’s side back at 4-4.

Neither side wanted to back down, Modric tested Mendy from distance as Mount fired wide from inside the penalty area as the match approached the final few minutes of normal time. Pulisic’s greatest opportunity to snatch victory came in stoppage time as Rudiger fired a long shot forward. The American could not control his shot and fired.

A minute later he had a better chance, and Havertz’s knockout found him with a more favorable angle. Under pressure he was unable to control his attempt again. That was the last chance in the 90 minutes, and the match went into overtime.

The extra time keep up the drama. Six minutes later, Madrid turned the match upside down again. A pass from Thiago Silva was passed by substitute Camavinga, who played at Vincos on the left. Brazilian Benzema’s cross and his golden head did not miss the ball past Mendy to make the score 5-4 on aggregate.

Chelsea pressed and had two chances in the half, but Real Madrid also remained a threat in the second half. Ziyech got the next great opportunity in the 115th minute after a break that allowed him space to shoot from the left flank. The angle was unfavorable and Courtois was in just the right position to beat it away.

Arguably, Havertz has a better chance of extra time than James’ cross. He had a free header but only managed to steer it off the near post just three minutes before play. Real Madrid were too lenient as Jorginho also had a chance from half a shot to put Chelsea back on the line but his shot was also long.

Those were the last chances as Real Madrid finished the match and advanced to the Champions League semi-finals. Here are our main points –

vibe madrid

Real Madrid completely disintegrated in the opening hour or so, but came back strong to win the draw. Despite the outcome, there were many concerns that would encourage the teams to advance. Their defense was extremely porous and the intensity fluctuated wildly.

However, their individual quality and Ancelotti’s slight tweaks to get the best results make them an unpredictable show. Modric, Benzema & Co.. He could take on anyone on his night but his appearance became an increasingly risky bet.

The reference takes center stage

The referee and VAR played a very involved game with one goal not allowed, dubious goal allowed and many other grueling fights all around. It was Rudiger’s corner kick that should not have been awarded.

Marcos Alonso’s disallowed goal was also a very marginal goal but ultimately true. In the final stages of the second half and in extra time, the referee didn’t control and had to be tougher in dealing with several annoying fouls.

no defense

Chelsea’s exit means that Real Madrid remains the only team to have defended the Champions League in the modern era. The wide disparity in results makes this competition entertaining and nights like this raise questions about whether we need the proposed reforms.

The probability of such matches is significantly reduced in the new format with the big clubs having some sort of protection to keep their forts in football finances. Perhaps UEFA needs to reconsider its priorities and not deprive the fans of such magical evenings.

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