Real Madrid are through to the next round of Champions League after a 2-0 (4-0 on aggregate) victory over Chelsea Wednesday at Stamford Bridge. Frank Lampard's Blues pressed valiantly in the match, but their scoring woes continued and they were helpless in the face of a Rodrygo double in the second half. It wasn't all smiles for Los Bancos though as they'll be without Eder Militao in the next round due to yellow card accumulation. Militao's foul on Kai Havertz in the first half was an unnecessary one and now Carlo Ancelotti will need to configure his defense to stop whoever Real Madrid will face in the next round, but making it to the last four remaining after winning Champions League last season is something to celebrate.
Given the issues that they've had, Chelsea did the right thing tactically, putting as many midfielders as they could on the pitch and pressing with conviction. As N'Golo Kante pushed forward, he, unfortunately, looked like a Chelsea winger and was unable to finish a few good chances that could've turned the tie around. If one of those goes in, there's a chance that Chelsea are going through to the next round instead of Real Madrid, but that's how thin margins can be.
Again, Real Madrid showed what attacking looked like as they managed the game until things opened up and Rodrygo struck. All credit to the Brazilian attacker, but defensive awareness on Chelsea's end needs to be better. The defense is put under far too much pressure with the attack not scoring, but across these two legs, not much more can be asked of Lampard tactically unless he can go on the pitch and put the ball into the back of the net himself.
Rodrygoals!
At Real Madrid, it can be easy to label this Karim Benzema's team because it's true. But while Benzema is the leader and Vinicius Jr is his second in command, the squad that steps up around them when needed is as good as any other club in the world. From Marco Ascencio to Fede Valverde to, as it was on Wednesday, Rodrygo, players all have their times to shine. A player who would be the leader of the attack on most teams, he still has 13 goals and 10 assists in all competitions for Real Madrid but teams forget the danger that the Brazilian can pose when he occupies a line with Vini Jr. and Benzema..
He quickly reminded Chelsea though.
And then he did it again and sent the fans home.
Having someone like this as their third best attacking option is why teams have to put Real Madrid away early if they want a chance of advancing. It's something that Chelsea had the chance to do but they didn't get the job done.
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How to defend in the next round
Militao's yellow card was a costly one with, him out for a clash that will likely be against Manchester City. That puts Real Madrid in a tough spot in trying to defend Erling Haaland with David Alaba (who also left this game injured) and Antonio Rudinger. Both are great defenders but they like to maraud forward which would give City the space to cut them apart. Ancelotti has been masterful with his game planning, so you'd assume that he works something out but facing Pep Guardiola is a chess match for the ages.
Real Madrid's midfield provides room for error but one thing that Chelsea did show is that they're vulnerable to the press. Pressing isn't something that City always do, but it is a tactic that they can employ when needed and Los Blancos will need to be ready.
What's next for Chelsea?
Despite Lampard's valiant effort, the harsh reality is that Chelsea have lost every game that he has managed in his return to Stamford Bridge. If what Graham Potter was doing wasn't good enough for Todd Boehly, how can this be? Chelsea have one eye on next season, but the limbo that they're in is a costly place. Figuring out what's next is critical both from a player standpoint and a managerial one as well. If Chelsea can't get a manager in place soon, some of these issues could end up making next season a lost one as well, because that manager will want time to figure out who to keep from the current roster. Taking over during the summer can shorten that timeline.