Real Madrid 2-0 Chelsea: Blancos cruise past ten-man Chelsea on home soil

Carlo Ancelotti’s men took a big step toward reaching the Champions League semifinals.

Real Madrid defeated Chelsea 2-0 in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie on Wednesday. Karim Benzema found the back of the net for the Blancos as they claimed a crucial home win.

Real Madrid’s UCL version!

Real Madrid came into the game on the back of their 3-2 defeat against Villarreal over the weekend. However, their start to the game showed they were eager to bounce back from the La Liga defeat.

Chelsea made a few chances on counter-attacks, but Real Madrid soon took control over the possession. Following a few missed chances, the hosts broke the deadlock through Benzema in the 21st minute.

A fantastic through pass from Dani Carvajal found Vinicius Junior, whose half-shot forced Kepa Arizabalag into making a poor save. Benzema then converted the rebound from close range to put Real Madrid ahead.

Chelsea made a few serious goalscoring opportunities down the left flank before the break. But Real Madrid held onto their defensive integrity as they won the first period.

The Blancos doubled down on their attacks at the beginning of the second half to double their lead. Their relentless pressure paid off when Ben Chilwell received a straight red card for his foul on Rodrygo in the 60th minute.

Lampard brought in Trevoh Chalobah and Kai Havertz to maintain his side’s balance after going a man down. However, that wasn’t enough to keep Real Madrid at bay.

Only 14 minutes after Chilwell’s red card, Real Madrid made it 2-0 through Marco Asensio. Following an assist from Vinicius Junior, the Spaniard smashed the ball past Kepa with a brilliant low shot.

Real Madrid remained in charge of the game until the final whistle but couldn’t convert their chances to increase the lead.

The two sides will meet again for the second leg next Tuesday. Before then, however, Real Madrid must face Cadiz, while Chelsea host Brighton on Saturday.