A faucet-in by Karim Benzema and a strong strike by substitute Marco Asensio earned European champions Real Madrid a 2-0 win over 10-man Chelsea of their Champions League quarter-final, first leg within the Spanish capital on Wednesday.
Benzema, the scourge of Chelsea on the identical stage of the competitors final season, transformed from level clean vary within the twenty first minute when Kepa Arrizabalaga saved from Vinicius Junior however might solely contact the ball within the course of the Frenchman.
It was Benzema’s ninetieth Champions League aim with the final 11 all coming in opposition to English golf equipment.
Chelsea – below caretaker coach Frank Lampard after a dismal season thus far – went near scoring within the first half however Joao Felix and Raheem Sterling have been thwarted by Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois taking part in in opposition to his former membership.
The Londoners’ probabilities of getting again into the sport suffered a serious setback within the 59th minute when Ben Chilwell was proven a straight purple card for bringing down Rodrygo with a tug of the Brazilian’s shirt when he was bearing down on aim.
Asensio had been on the sector for simply three minutes when he was fed by Vinicius on the sting of the field and the Spain worldwide drilled in a low shot that went by the legs of Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana and past Kepa’s dive.
The win on the Santiago Bernabeu stadium places the 14-time European champions within the driver’s seat forward of the second leg at Stamford Bridge on April 18.
Benzema, who scored a hat-trick in London final 12 months earlier than getting one other in Madrid in a 5-4 mixture thriller, might have successfully seen off Chelsea in added time on the finish of the second half when he headed over with the aim at his mercy after Kepa might solely punch the ball so far as him.
Chelsea substitute Mason Mount then got here near an important aim for the Blues when he turned and shot within the penalty space however former staff mate Antonio Rudiger, additionally on off the bench, raced in to dam.
In the top, the Londoners didn’t scored for a fourth match in a row – three of them within the Premier League – their longest barren run since 1993.
Lampard – Chelsea’s high goalscorer who returned to Stamford Bridge for a second spell as coach till the top of the season after Graham Potter was fired this month – embraced Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti, himself an ex-Chelsea supervisor, on the closing whistle.
“They’re a very good team but we have to believe,” Lampard advised BT Sport, referring to subsequent week’s return leg in London.
Source: www.anews.com.tr
