Real Madrid got a good advantage, but wasted the opportunity to decide the tie against a rather defensive Chelsea who played the last half hour of the match with one man less due to the expulsion of Chilwell.
Carlo Ancelotti repeated the team that scored at the Camp Nou in the Cup, with Benzema, VinÃcius and Rodrygo up top and a midfield controlled by Kroos and Modric, with the German at 5, a position that is not far from he’s happy but he usually plays in the big games this season in the absence of a midfielder like Casemiro. Lampard went out with only two strikers, and played it with Sterling and João Félix. His idea was very clear: catch Madrid in a counter with balls on the backs of the full-backs, especially Camavinga, who was charged very early with a yellow card in a Sterling interning.
After a first chance from João Félix was aborted by Courtois, Madrid took the pulse of the game very early. He deployed with energy and nerve and looked for Chelsea on VinÃcius’ side. On the other hand, Rodrygo moved, but the young Brazilian, so decisive in the last Champions League, is now not at his best.
Karim Benzema, who has been in Ballon d’Or mode for a couple of weeks, was the one who made Chelsea’s defense go wild. The French forward gave a course on how to get off the mark, to download the game to one side or the other, a constant danger for the opposing defense.
Nor did he miss his date with the goal. Madrid scored in the 21st in a few minutes in which the English team was shut down. The play began with an excellent pass from Carvajal to VinÃcius, whose shot was slightly deflected by Kepa with his fingertips. There was Benzema to finish.
He went upstairs with pride and Sterling fired a cannonball over Courtois, who took the ball out for a corner, one of those game-winning saves of which the Belgian already has so many.
There wasn’t much more from Chelsea in the first half as Madrid continued to dominate play but lacked a spark of malice to get the second goal. He also had an excess of preciousness left over, a desire to make the most plastic pass before going down the most practical route. However, he had a couple of fairly clear opportunities to extend his advantage, a strange shot from Camavinga and especially a hand to hand that Rodrygo missed in front of Kepa, a shot that was too soft.
Madrid dominated but did not quite get the second goal. Modric almost scored at 50 with a ball that almost went high, rubbing the crossbar.
Marc Cucurulla immediately came on for Koulibaly, who limped off. And in the 60th came another key play. The French referee sent off Chilwell with a straight red to catch Rodrygo and be the last man. With one less Lampard opted for a double change and withdrew his two strikers: João Félix and Sterling for Havertz and Chalobah.
Ancelotti also reacted and removed Camavinga, with a card, to replace Rüdiger, and Rodrygo for Asensio. The Balearic entry could not have been more effective. He has a cannon in his leg. His first shot, a ball that he caught near the area, went close to the post and beat Kepa’s effort. Madrid protected the 2-0. It can be worth against a Chelsea with few goals. With this, he ties four unscored matches. Madrid will have to be reliable defensively in London.
