Rodrygo scored a brace to help Real Madrid produce one of the most comfortable football scores of the weekend in the Champions League. Frank Lampard’s side needed to overcome a two-goal deficit from the first leg to salvage silverware from a turbulent season, but Rodrygo’s opener (58), netted from close range following a quick Madrid attack, virtually ended the tie. The Brazilian then added his second with another simple finish after Federico Valverde had danced through Chelsea’s static defense (80), the goal deafening Stamford Bridge, emphasizing Madrid’s superiority, and setting up a potential semi-final against Manchester City, who lead Bayern Munich 3-0 after the first leg.
Chelsea, who had lost three consecutive games following Lampard’s appointment as caretaker manager, started well on the night but, as has been the case all season, failed to capitalize on their chances, with N’Golo Kante missing their two finest chances. The Blues, who are currently 11th in the biggest League table and 17 points off of the Champions League places with only seven games remaining, will now face a season outside of Europe’s biggest competition, with little to play for in the final weeks of the season.
Chelsea needed to win by at least two goals, which they had only done twice in their previous 20 games across all competitions, making Lampard’s supposedly conservative team decision even more shocking. Instead of filling his lineup with firepower, the interim manager chose an extra midfielder over an attacker, with Conor Gallagher starting and Raheem Sterling pulling out. Chelsea’s sole out-and-out attacker was Kai Havertz, with Gallagher and Kante playing in new roles as forward No 8s, but the unconventional approach looked to confuse the visitors, at least at first, with Chelsea starting strongly.
Their greatest chance came from a terrific cross by James, but Kante demonstrated why he usually plays farther back by rushing his first-time shot and slicing way wide. Chelsea continued to threaten, with home fans applauding the intensity of their performance, but Madrid quickly grabbed a foothold in the game. Rodrygo forced Kepa Arrizabalaga into a near-post save, while Modric tested the Chelsea custodian from a similar position.
Real Madrid then wasted two excellent chances in quick succession, with Vinicius Junior first failing to properly connect with Modric’s wicked cross after getting in front of Wesley Fofana, and Karim Benzema slashing wide after a quick counter-attack led by the excellent Valverde. Chelsea, on the other hand, came closest to breaking the deadlock before the break, with former Chelsea player Thibaut Courtois, who was booed by the home crowd throughout, pulling off a brilliant close-range save from Marc Cucurella at the back post.
Lampard was left shaking his head at that wasted opportunity, and there was another soon after the break when Gallagher nodded a loose ball down to Kante in the box, and the Frenchman again failed to convert, this time with Militao stopping his effort. Chelsea was enraged when Militao avoided a second caution for a foul on Trevoh Chalobah, but just when the hosts appeared to be in control, with the home crowd enraged by the apparent injustice, Madrid scored the game-winning goal. In the build-up, Rodrygo found himself in acres of space on Chelsea’s left flank, and the 22-year-old was then in the right position at the right time to convert from Vinicius’ selfless cut-back.
Lampard brought on Sterling, Joao Felix, and Mykhailo Mudryk, but it was too late. Chelsea’s fans mainly lingered behind to show their appreciation for the team’s efforts afterward, but this was another humiliating setback in a season of many, and it virtually ended their campaign with more than a month’s worth of games remaining.
“We played pretty well for 60 minutes, and maybe it’s typical after the goal, at 3-0 in the tie, we made some changes to go for it, and that’s how the game goes. But for 60 minutes, we had really good chances, and when you get them at this level, you have to take them,” Chelsea boss Frank Lampard said. “When you lose at this level, you don’t want to appreciate the performance too much since it’s limited. It is what it is, but where we have been this season, who we are, and what we must strive for is a club that has been in this position and beyond many times. It wasn’t our night, but some players will take it tonight and understand what it means to perform at that level.”
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