April 07, 2022
Trends Jobs
Chelsea suffers a Champions League defeat against Real Madrid as the club’s future remains uncertain
Chelsea suffers a Champions League While the future of Chelsea Football Club remains in turmoil off the field, the team faced a tough night on the pitch in their Champions League quarterfinal first leg against Real Madrid on Wednesday.
A hat-trick for Karim Benzema propelled his side to a 3–1 victory on a wet and windy night in west London, putting the Spanish side in firm control of the matchup before the return phase.
It was a game that promised to look very different when it was drawn.
The ban on outgoing Chelsea boss Roman Abramovich, due to his ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, is likely to have a major impact on the club’s biggest game of the season so far.
There was uncertainty about whether any fans would be able to attend games and restrictions on travel budgets brought into doubt whether Chelsea would be able to participate in the Champions League as well.
But, after further clarification and work with the British government, it was easy to forget off-field troubles in the form of a full-capacity Stamford Bridge.
On the pitch, it was Chelsea who got off to a better start, balking at the Madrid players, who took a while to settle down – but they did.
The visitors presented a great opportunity for Vinicius Jr., who broke the crossbar with his opening attempt and Chelsea ignored an early warning.
Thomas Tuchel’s side quickly found themselves two goals down after Benzema put up two pinpoint headers in front of Edouard Mendy in a chaotic three-minute period.
The goals were greeted by frenzied celebrations at the far end with many Madrid fans at the mercy of stormy conditions.
With the semi-finals looking like a distant dream for Chelsea, home support was starting to disappoint but there was still a turning point in a frantic first half.
Kai Havertz cut the deficit in half with a header of his own, laying down a beautifully crafted cross from Jorginho.
But before many could take their seats after the restart, Benzema was on target again, this time taking advantage of goalkeeper Mendy’s somewhat sloppy play.
Antonio Rudiger had a poor pass and the defender could do little to prevent Benzema from stealing possession and going into the open net.
It was the second consecutive hat-trick for the Frenchman in this competition, coming after his heroics in the round of 16 against Paris Saint-Germain.
Despite Chelsea’s more effort and plenty of ball in the second half, it was Madrid fans who were dancing as home fans became increasingly agitated.
This was enough to suggest that Chelsea had a chance to slim down in the second leg, but who knows what the club will look like until then.
Several potential owners have expressed interest in taking over the leadership of the club, but it is yet to be decided where Chelsea will go from here.
