God Dam, Real Madrid would kill all the Madridistas with such crazy nights of UEFA Champions League. Whenever the chips are down, Carlo Ancelotti raises his eyebrow and gives that look that seems bring Real Madrid back to life - our hearts come to our mouths. Pulse rate increases. Real Madrid win. But we are half-dead.
Karim Benzema. Again. Not three this time, but one. The one that broke Chelsea’s hearts.
Chelsea lost in extra time when Benzema scored and they did not. And they lost in the first leg, by giving themselves such an obstacle to climb. Yet the rest of it was theirs. This was a great European performance, which is probably why it hurts so much to be playing no further part.
Chelsea conceded twice having raced to a 3-0 lead in 75 minutes.
It was always going to be hard to contain them once the reality of elimination hit home - hit very hard.
And that moment of revelation occurred when Timo Werner scored Chelsea’s third of the night. Even at 2-0 down, Madrid seemed to be sleepwalking.
Suddenly, when the aggregate score shifted to 4-3 in Chelsea’s favour, an alarm went off.
Real Madrid started to wake up.
The goal that sent the game to extra-time was a thing of true beauty.
N’Golo Kante’s pass was cut out and Luka Modric played the pass of the night to Rodrygo, hit with the outside of his boot with stunning accuracy.
The substitute met it on the volley at the far post to bring Madrid back to life. Even had away goals still counted in the UEFA competition the outcome would have been the same.
A 3-1 win for the away team in both ties.
he superhuman effort to score three at the Bernabeu – the first English team to do that since Manchester United in a drawn semi-final in 1968 – could not be continued for another 30 minutes. So it proved, even if the deciding goal had a degree of good fortune. It was that great double act that did it – Vinicius Junior provider, Benzema scorer – but the reason the striker had the space was that Antonio Rudiger slipped at a vital time.
It gave Benzema a free header from Vincius’ cross, and he made no mistake. Rudiger was stranded, and so was Edouard Mendy. And Benzema’s record of a goal a game in 2021-22 continues.
Madrid had the experience but this is also an aging team. Been there, seen it, done it. Maybe they thought they had this tie won in the first leg, too.
And, when hopes ended, they rose like a phoenix from the ashes - Chelsea were left stunned.
Bernabeu was buzzing - tears of joy were shed.
Yet another lifeline for Carlo Ancelotti's Real Madrid.
Thank You
Faisal Caesar
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