Real Madrid celebrated a huge victory over Chelsea in the Champions League quarter-finals.
Real Madrid defeated Chelsea 3-1 in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie on Wednesday. Another brilliant hat-trick from Karim Benzema was enough for the Blancos to leave Stamford Bridge with a perfect result.
Benzema is unstoppable 🔥
Real Madrid came into the game on the back of their controversial win over Celta Vigo in La Liga. The Blancos started the game with great intensity, pushing hard to get an early breakthrough at Stamford Bridge.
Despite Chelsea also having a few early chances, it was Real Madrid who broke the deadlock through Benzema in the 21st minute. Only three minutes later, the French star scored another brilliant header, making it 2-0 for the guests.
Chelsea came back into the game when Kai Havertz converted Jorginho’s cross in the 40th minute. However, as soon as the second period started, Real Madrid sent the victory to bed by restoring their two-goal lead.
Only a minute after the interval, Edouard Mendy’s terrible pass provided a chance for Benzema to complete his hat-trick. The Real Madrid striker nodded the ball into the empty net, killing Chelsea’s hopes of a comeback.
The Blues continued to push for an equalizer throughout the second period. However, Real Madrid midfielders did a brilliant job of limiting their opponents’ attacking options, protecting the 3-1 win until the final whistle.
What’s next for Chelsea and Real Madrid?
A 3-1 win in London gives Real Madrid a huge advantage ahead of the second leg. The two sides will meet again next week.
However, before that, the Blancos must host Getafe in La Liga while Chelsea return to Premier League action to meet Southampton.
Player Ratings
Chelsea: Mendy (4); James (6), Christensen (5), T. Silva (6), Rudiger (3), Azpilicueta (6); Kanté (5), Jorginho (6); Mount (6), Havertz (7), Pulisic (4).
Bench: Loftus-Cheek (6), Ziyech (5), Kovacic (6), Lukaku (5).
Real Madrid: Courtois (7), Carvajal (7), Militao (6), Alaba (6), Mendy (7), Casemiro (8), Kroos (7), Modric (8), Valverde (7), Vinicius (8), Benzema (10).
Bench: Bale (6), Ceballos (6), Nacho (7), Camavinga (6).
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