Real Madrid imposes its ‘DNA’
The champion repeats his victory against Chelsea to get into a new Champions League semifinal with Courtois and Rodrygo as protagonists
MADRID, 18 Abr. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Real Madrid qualified for a new semifinal in their Champions League history after leaving English Chelsea on the road this Tuesday, whom they defeated again 0-2 at Stamford Bridge in a game that they knew how to handle supported by their experience and with leading roles for Rodrygo Goes and Thibaut Courtois.
The reigning champion was successful in his visit to London where he had a difficult time against an opponent who demonstrated the reasons for his bad campaign, especially at the offensive level. Even so, he enjoyed good chances, especially one on the brink of half-time that the Belgian goalkeeper was in charge of aborting.
In the second half, when the locals were pressing the hardest, the Real Madrid team found space for Rodrygo, better than an out-of-tune Vinicius Jr, to score the first of his two goals, with which he already has 15 in this competition. From there, everything was easier for Carlo Ancelotti’s men, two games from a new final for the third consecutive season and for the thirty-second time in its history. The worst news, apart from Alaba’s injury, the yellow card for Militao that will make him miss the first leg of the semifinals.
Chelsea wanted to ‘cheat’ with their eleven and disguised an apparent line of three centrals, with only two, turning Fofana to the right side despite Vinicius Jr’s threat to put Reece James higher. The Englishman and N’Golo Kanté, also very advanced in pressing, were the main headaches for Real Madrid where Camavinga suffered on the side where many rivals appeared.
The visitors took refuge in the ‘handle’ of Kroos, who was the one who calmed the local outing with his usual mettle, but they lacked more bite up top, with Modric misguided at the start and with little prominence from Benzema and ‘Vini’. Despite this, the first big scare was ‘blue’ with a ball that fell very clearly to Kanté inside the area, but that he did not know how to execute well, to the relief of Courtois.
This made Frank Lampard’s men grow, who, however, missed something in the lack of offensive power due to the presence of a Havertz alone. The German created problems for Militao, but he didn’t have much company and he couldn’t connect any of the many lateral centers that his team resorted to at many times.
Little by little, with Valverde joining the ‘8’ in the midfield, the champion established himself more and was able to enjoy good chances with shots from Rodrygo, who crashed into the post, on the outside, by Modric, well repelled by Kepa, and especially one by Vinicius that did not match well with everything in favor of a great center from the Croatian from the right, through which the visitors also did damage.
Real Madrid held up well to Chelsea’s final rush and came close to surprising with a counterattack launched by Valverde that Benzema was unable to finish off adequately, but just on the brink of halftime, the London team had the best to have struck emotionally. Cucurella found a lost ball sent once again from the right and the time it took him to think was the one that Courtois took advantage of to enlarge and cover him to the frustration of the stands.
Ancelotti had to tweak his defense at half-time with the entry of Rüdiger due to Alaba’s physical problems. Real Madrid did not come out as in tune as a Chelsea demanded, which came out more aggressive and again came close to 1-0 with a shot from Kanté almost in the small area that crashed in Militao.
The Madrid team was going through its worst moments, somewhat besieged, when it found the spaces it likes. Cucurella jumped on the pressure and left space behind him for a Rodrygo who also overcame a Chabolah who risked too much and stood alone in the area. His ‘death’ pass could not be pushed by Benzema, but it fell to Vinicius who had the cold blood to return it to his compatriot to put a foot and a half in the semifinals.
The ‘blues’ decidedly launched to try to recover their options as soon as possible, but they showed their offensive problems this season, although Courtois put a good hand on Enzo Fernández. In another against, Benzema was able to sentence and Lampard played everything for everything with the entry of Joao Felix, Sterling and Mudryk, while Ancelotti replied with Tchouameni for the ‘9’.
Despite putting more ‘gunpowder’, Chelsea had no order nor was it capable of excessively disturbing Courtois. Vinicius was able to sentence, but it was not his night, it was Rodrygo’s, who signed the double to execute the English team after a ‘gift’ from an even more brilliant Valverde in the second half.
–RESULT: CHELSEA, 0 – REAL MADRID, 2 (0-0, at halftime).
CHELSEA: Kepa; James, Thiago Silva, Fofana, Chabolah, Cucurella (Mudryk, min.68); Kanté, Enzo Fernández (Sterling, min.67), Kovacic; Gallagher (Joao Felix, min.67) and Havertz (Mount, min.77).
REAL MADRID: Courtois; Carvajal (Nacho, min.81), Militao, Alaba (Rüdiger, min.46), Camavinga; Modric, Kroos (Ceballos, min.76), Valverde; Rodrygo (Asensio, min.82), Benzema (Tchouameni, min.71) and Vinicius.
0-1, minute 58. Rodrygo.
0-2, minute 80. Rodrygo.
–REFEREE: Daniele Orsato (ITA). He admonished Cucurella (min.34), James (min.50) and Mudryk (min.89), for Chelsea, and Militao (min.21), for Real Madrid.
–ESTADIO: Stamford Bridge.