Karim Benzema and Marco Asensio struck for Real Madrid on Wednesday as they dominated 10-man Chelsea and opened up a 2-0 UEFA Champions League quarter-final first-leg lead.
The record 14-time winners and reigning champions eased to a comfortable win against Frank Lampard’s side, who had Ben Chilwell sent off in the second half for pulling down Rodrygo as he ran through on goal.
Benzema netted from close range 21 minutes into the game after Kepa Arrizabalaga tipped a Vinicius Junior effort into his path.
Photo: Reuters
Despite controlling the game, Madrid had to wait until the 74th minute for their second, with Asensio drilling home from the edge of the box after a short-corner routine.
In a battle between the previous two Champions League winners, Madrid demonstrated their strength with an impressive display, while Chelsea showed why they are struggling in 11th in the Premier League.
“We are satisfied with the result, for the performance, but it’s not over yet, we have to fight, to sacrifice for another 90 minutes at Stamford Bridge,” Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti said. “We are satisfied only for tonight, it’s not over yet. We know Chelsea will try to [give] everything next week.”
Ancelotti relied on veteran midfielders Toni Kroos and Luka Modric to pull the strings.
Lampard, in his second game at the helm since replacing Graham Potter last week, threw Thiago Silva and N’Golo Kante straight into the starting lineup after injury worries.
Kante shone against Madrid in the semi-finals in 2020-2021 as Chelsea beat them en route to winning the trophy for the second time and his performance was one positive for Lampard.
The French midfielder slipped on-loan Atletico Madrid striker Joao Felix through at the start, but he fired at former Chelsea stopper Thibaut Courtois.
Madrid fans had shown their support for Fede Valverde before the game after he allegedly punched Villarreal’s Alex Baena on Saturday and he nearly rewarded them with a piledriver that flew narrowly off target.
“For me he was the best player on the pitch, he put in a lot of energy,” Ancelotti said. “He was impeccable at recovering the ball.”
Benzema, who netted a hat-trick at Stamford Bridge last season and scored the goal that sent Madrid through against the Blues in the second leg, tapped home his sixth goal against Chelsea to open the scoring.
Dani Carvajal lofted a tempting ball over the top and although Kepa got his fingertips to Vinicius’ effort, Benzema was left with a simple tap-in.
Chelsea almost produced an instant equalizer, but Courtois made a stunning save to deny Raheem Sterling from close range.
Madrid toyed with their opponents, penning them back in their box for large stretches, with Vinicius, Rodrygo and David Alaba going close.
Chelsea have struggled badly for goals this season and after their early chances, found it difficult to build in attack.
The Blues have not scored in their past four matches across all competitions for the first time since 1993 and their only pure striker, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, is not registered to play in the Champions League.
“The last bit is sometimes confidence,” Lampard said. “If you work, keep going, something can change. No player doesn’t want to score a goal, sometimes they need support, confidence and a push in a positive way.”
Chelsea’s uphill struggle was made harder before the hour mark when Chilwell tugged back Rodrygo as he ran through on goal and was shown a straight red card.
A difficult evening was compounded when Asensio squeezed an effort through Fofana’s legs and into the bottom corner to double the hosts’ advantage.
Benzema might have netted another in stoppage-time, but headed off target after Kepa pushed a cross into his path.
Bologna on Thursday advanced past Empoli to reach their first Coppa Italia final in more than half a century. Thijs Dallinga’s 87th-minute header earned Bologna a 2-1 win and his side advanced 5-1 on aggregate. Giovanni Fabbian opened the scoring for Bologna with a header seven minutes in. Then Viktor Kovalenko equalized for Empoli in the 30th minute by turning in a rebound to finish off a counterattack. Bologna won the first leg 3-0. In the May 14 final in Rome, Bologna are to face AC Milan, who eliminated city rivals Inter 4-1 on aggregate following a 3-0 win on Wednesday. Bologna last reached the
If the Wild finally break through and win their first playoff series in a decade, Minnesota’s top line likely will be the reason. They were all over the Golden Knights through the first two games of their NHL Western Conference quarter-finals series, which was 1-1 going back to Minnesota for Game 3 today. The Wild tied the series with a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Matt Boldy had three goals and an assist in the first two games, while Kirill Kaprizov produced two goals and three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek, who centers the line, has yet to get on the scoresheet. “I think the biggest
From a commemorative jersey to a stadium in his name, Argentine soccer organizers are planning a slew of tributes to their late “Captain” Pope Francis, eulogized as the ultimate team player. Tributes to the Argentine pontiff, a lifelong lover of the game, who died on Monday at the age of 88, have been peppered with soccer metaphors in his homeland. “Francisco. What a player,” the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) said, describing the first pope from Latin America and the southern hemisphere as a generational talent who “never hogged the ball” and who showed the world “the importance of having an Argentine captain,
Noelvi Marte on Sunday had seven RBIs and hit his first career grand slam with a drive off infielder Jorge Mateo, while Austin Wynn had a career-high six RBIs as the Cincinnati Reds scored their most runs in 26 years in a 24-2 rout of the Baltimore Orioles. Marte finished with five hits, including his eighth-inning homer off Mateo. Wynn hit a three-run homer in the ninth off catcher Gary Sanchez. Cincinnati scored its most runs since a 24-12 win against the Colorado Rockies on May 19, 1999, and finished with 25 hits. Baltimore allowed its most runs since a 30-3 loss to