In the Champions League quarter-final, Real Madrid put an end to Chelsea’s hopes of salvaging success from an otherwise mediocre season, as they advanced to the semi-finals at Stamford Bridge. The Blues faced an uphill battle to overturn a 2-0 deficit from the first leg in the Bernabeu, and their efforts were further undermined by a familiar flaw: their inability to convert a succession of clear chances.
Despite a determined performance, N’Golo Kante missed a glorious first-half opening, and Marc Cucurella’s attempt to reduce Real’s advantage was blocked by former Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. While the Spanish champions had their moments, their ability to capitalize on their opponents’ wasted opportunities ultimately led to victory, with a lightning counter-attack led by Vinicius Junior resulting in Rodrygo’s close-range finish just before the hour, putting the tie to bed.
With ten minutes left on the clock, Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior walked in the second goal after an excellent display of unselfish work by Federico Valverde. Carlo Ancelotti, seeking an unprecedented fifth win as a coach in this tournament, will progress to the semi-finals, where his Real Madrid side will face either Bayern Munich or Manchester City. Meanwhile, Chelsea’s interim manager Frank Lampard, who now has four defeats from four games, faces the daunting task of lifting the club out of its current state of despair.
Chelsea’s weaknesses were exposed once more
One of the most glaring mistakes made by Chelsea’s new ownership group, led by Todd Boehly, is spending £600m in a transfer frenzy but failing to acquire a player who specializes in the most valuable asset of all – scoring goals. Despite putting on a decent performance in the match against Real Madrid, their lack of finishing cost them dearly, and they were eventually punished by the street-smart and quality of Carlo Ancelotti’s team.
N’Golo Kante, Marc Cucurella, and substitute Mykhailo Mudryk all had chances to score, but their inability to convert these opportunities was the difference between winning and losing the match. With their current position in the Premier League, sitting at 11th place, Chelsea will not be playing in the Champions League next season, making it a challenging task for the new ownership group to attract top talent to the club.
Boehly and the Clearlake group must also find a manager who can bring stability to the club following the sacking of Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter this season. It will take ambition and reputation to attract an elite manager to the club, as most of them would wish to ply their trade in the Champions League. Frank Lampard, the current interim manager, will have to motivate his players to achieve a positive end to the season and restore the club’s lost glory.
