Real Madrid secure a comfortable 2-0 victory against 10 men Chelsea

Reigning Champions Real Madrid effortlessly beat Chelsea 2-0 in their Champions League quarter final first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday in a match whose final scoreline could have handily been more lopsided. 

Chelsea started the game on the front foot with Joao Felix and Raheem Sterling going close early on only to be impeded by Madrid goalkeeper Thibuat Coutois playing against his former club. 

However, the hosts got hold of the game as it progressed and went ahead in the 20th minute when Karim Benzema pounced on a lose ball and deposited it in front of an open net after Kepa Arrizabalaa deflected a Vinius Junior shot into the 35 year old’s path

This was goal number 90 for the Frenchman in the Champions League with the last 11 all coming against English clubs. 

Madrid had eight shots on target in the opening 45 minutes and the Blues will have likely been happy to go into the dressing room trailing only 1-0 at halftime. 

The Defending Champions looked far more superior that their PL opposition as the second half kicked off and Chelsea’s job became even more difficult ahead of the hour mark when Ben Chilwell brought down Rodrygo from behind as he dashed towards goal and was shown a straight red card. 

The one sided affair became even more conspicuous and Madrid soon scored their second via Marco Asencio. The Spanish International came off the bench to lash home a shot from the top of the penalty area in the 74th minute to put the game to bed.

“He looks very good, every game he plays he scores in almost every game," Ancelotti said of Asensio after the game. "If he starts or comes on, he's decisive, in any moment he can score or assist.

"Rodrygo takes more risks, he's more vertical, takes players on, moves without the ball. Marco is good between the lines and has a great shot."

It was another clinical Champions League night for both Benzema and Vinicius, with the latter bagging two assists to take his total goal contributions tally to 11 in European competition this season, only behind Erling Haaaland’s 12. 

"We played well. It's one of our best games of the season but we have the return leg and we have to stay calm and be strong there, as we were here," the Brazilian said after the match. "There were a lot of spaces, we always want to score more goals, but we're playing a great team and we know how difficult it is to play the return leg away from home, that's why we wanted to score more goals. But we have to stay calm.

"Every player who wears this shirt knows that playing in the Champions League is special, the fans push you, if you play for Madrid you have to want to play in the Champions League."

Benzema, who scored consecutive Champions League hattricks last year, could have effectively buried the game in added time at the end of the second half when he headed one over the goal after a weak punch clearance by Kepa

Chelsea introduced Mason Mount in the second half and the 24 year old should have got one back for his side. Mount turned a shot in the pernaly area only to see his shot get blocked by former Chelsea teammate Antonio Rudiger. 

In the end, the West London club failed to score for a fourth match in a row-their longest morbid run since 1993.

Frank Lampard- Chelsea’s caretaker manager and top goal scorer- embraced Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti, himself a former Chelsea boss, at the final whistle.   

"They're a very good team, but we have to believe," Lampard told BT Sport, referring to next week's return leg in London.

Ancelotti however believes the job is far from done despite the convincing first-leg win.

"We have to do it with a complete game like we played tonight, it was a complete game tonight from the start," Ancelotti said. "The objective was to take the advantage and we have it, but we'll have to suffer. Chelsea are a good team with good players, we'll have to fight for another 90 minutes.

"Against 10 men we could have done a bit more, but against 11 we had used a lot of energy, pressing them to win the ball, and after that we lacked a bit of energy and clarity to do better. We have to repeat this game again at Stamford Bridge."