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#3 Chelsea expose Real Madrid's lack of cohesiveness
Zidane's starting XI could have been very different had Ramos been available, and to cope with the absence of his injured stars, the coach picked a back five of players who have never played together. Dani Carvajal, Nacho, Raphael Varane, Eder Militao, and Marcelo have never started a game next to each other for Real Madrid, and their lack of cohesiveness was exposed by the visitors.
Chelsea's pacy forwards ran riot over their defence in the first half and their runs in behind caused them all sorts of problems and pressed them relentlessly. Their lack of coordination was evident, at least until much later on into the game, and they had to resort to committing fouls more often than not. It was only the second time in Zidane's managerial career in the UCL that he's deployed a back three, and he's done so only on four occasions this season in LaLiga Santander.
In stark contrast, Chelsea's XI were extremely cohesive and played like a brilliant unit in which every single player was perfectly aware of the role that needed to be performed. They shut out the explosive Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final with the same set-up and kept 16 clean sheets in 21 games, and while they might not have a shut out to show for, Tuchel still won the tactical battle against Zidane.
#2 N'Golo Kante wins battle vs jaded Real Madrid midfield
N'Golo Kante has been in sublime form over the course of the 2020/21 campaign, putting in a string of brilliant displays for the Blues. Under Tuchel, the French star has formed a formidable partnership with Jorginho, and on Tuesday, the pair won the midfield battle against arguably the best midfield in the world.
For all their accolades, Toni Kroos, Casemiro, and Luka Modric looked jaded against Chelsea, due to the immense workload and lack of able deputies available at Real Madrid's disposal. Kante was superior to every other midfielder on the pitch and gave Chelsea the upper hand as he won the ball back tirelessly. The Frenchman's lung-busting runs into Real Madrid territory were too much for the Blancos stars to handle.
Kante attempted more duels on the night than any player on the pitch (21) and his game-high six dribbles were more than all the Real Madrid players combined. He was often the spare man in midfield who caused Real Madrid's midfield all sorts of problems. Kante was a phenom and continues to deliver for Tuchel's side.
#1 Brilliant Benzema turns up once again
Karim Benzema has, more often than not, been the man to spare Real Madrid's blushes. He turned up to keep them in the competition with a season-defining brace against Borussia Monchengladbach and kept them in the title race with an 88th-minute equaliser in the Madrid derby. Against Chelsea, it was Benzema who once a gave them a fighting chance heading into the second leg.
In a half where his side were run ragged by an energetic Chelsea side, Benzema was excellent, and every touch he took was a measured and meaningful one. He warned Edouard Mendy, who was mostly a spectator, with a venomous shot that grazed the post in the first half. Six minutes later, he was on the end of a short-corner routine and controlled the ball with his head before lashing it home on the volley.
It was Benzema's 28th goal of the campaign and he's continued to turn up for his side time and time again. If Real Madrid have any hope of turning it around in the second leg, it's only because of Benzema's brilliance on an otherwise forgettable night for Zidane's side.
Also read: 5 Legendary footballers who had their shirt numbers retired
