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Ten-man Chelsea fell to a 2-0 defeat against Real Madrid in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday, April 12.
Despite struggling in the Premier League this season, the Blues have performed relatively well in this competition. They qualified for the quarters with a well-planned and hard-fought 3-0 win over Borussia Dortmund in the round of 16.
However, the manager has since changed and Frank Lampard returned to the helm as he named a new-look lineup for this crunch clash.
Chelsea made a slow start to the game as they struggled to get hold of the ball, with Real Madrid dominating possession. They did create the game's first chance via Joao Felix, who found himself through on goal. However, he could only manage a tame effort which Thibaut Courtois had no issues parrying away for a corner.
The Blues had the ball for 40% of the first period and attempted just three shots, hitting the target twice. They fell behind in the 21st minute as Karim Benzema was in the right place to tap in a shot saved by Kepa Arrizabalaga. Real Madrid continued to put pressure on Chelsea as the game neared half-time but were unable to add to their lead.
The Blues trailed 1-0 at the break.
Despite making a decent start to the second period, Chelsea were reduced to 10 men 15 minutes after the restart. Ben Chilwell was shown a straight red card for a last-man foul on Rodrygo, who was through on goal. Luckily for them, it was outside the box and Real Madrid failed to capitalize on the set piece.
However, Los Blancos doubled their lead in the 74th minute from a well-worked corner routine. Vinicius laid the ball off to substitute Marco Asensio, who rolled it into the net from the edge of the box. Both managers made multiple changes but despite having fresh legs on the pitch, Chelsea were unable to find their attacking mojo with 10 men.
The game ended in a 2-0 win for Real Madrid, who dominated the visitors for most of the contest. On that note, let's take a look at the Blues' player ratings.
Chelsea Player Ratings
Kepa Arrizabalaga - 8/10
Despite conceding a cheap goal, the Spaniard looked sharp between the sticks for Chelsea as he made seven first-half saves. He made another decent save in the second half but was unfortunate to end up on the losing side.
Wesley Fofana - 5.5/10
Fofana had a poor game in defense as he struggled to keep up with Real Madrid's pacey forwards. He was booked in the game and saw the ball flash between his legs for the hosts' second goal.
Thiago Silva - 7/10
Silva was solid in defense on his return to the starting XI. He won two duels, making four clearances, two blocks, and one interception. He also made one clearance off the line.
Kalidou Koulibaly - 6.5/10
Koulibaly had a decent game but was subbed off due to an injury in the 55th minute. He won three duels, making three clearances, one interception, and one tackle.
Reece James - 6/10
James struggled to make an impact on the game offensively, which he is great at. Instead, the full-back spent most of his time tracking back to defend but did not do well on that end. He won just three duels and lost possession 16 times.
N'Golo Kante - 6.5/10
Kante passed the ball well and had a decent game in the middle of the park. He played one key pass and made one interception and one tackle.
Enzo Fernandez - 7.5/10
Fernandez was Chelsea's chief ball distributor and had a good game as he was a lone bright spark for them. He won seven of his 12 duels, making one tackle and one clearance. He also played 13 long balls and two key passes.
Mateo Kovacic - 6.5/10
Kovacic passed the ball around well in midfield and looked to advance the game forward. He made one tackle, one interception, and blocked one shot. He was booked late in the game for arguing with the referee.
Ben Chilwell - 6/10
Chilwell had a decent game but was sent off in the second half for a last-man foul. He won five duels and played two long balls.
Raheem Sterling - 6/10
Sterling had a relatively poor outing as he was unable to get involved in the game. He attempted just one shot on target, which was easily saved.
Joao Felix - 6.5/10
Felix showed good spirits as he won five of his seven duels. He also attempted three shots, hitting the target twice but failing to beat the 'keeper.
Substitutes
Marc Cucurella - 6/10
Cucurella replaced the injured Koulibaly and put in a decent performance.
Trevoh Chalobah - 6.5/10
Chalobah came on in the second period and played well.
Kai Havertz - 6/10
Havertz replaced Sterling in the first period and like his teammate, he was unable to offer much for Chelsea in the final third.
Mason Mount - 6/10
Mount replaced Thiago Silva in an attacking change by Lampard but failed to make the desired impact.
Conor Gallagher - 6/10
Gallagher replaced Kante in the second half and put in a decent performance.
