Chelsea ‘brilliant’ against Real Madrid in near stunning comeback but ‘tie was lost’ at Stamford Bridge as LaLiga giants warned Man City will tear them apart
It was not the result Chelsea hoped for, but their Champions League quarter-final with Real Madrid will go down as an all-time classic.
Trailing 3-1 from the first leg at Stamford Bridge, they needed a mountainous effort to come back and reach the semi-finals.
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They came so close to achieving that before Madrid found a way to scrape their way through.
Mason Mount, Antonio Rudiger and Timo Werner put the Blues within touching distance of a famous victory.
A brilliant goal by Rodrygo pulled Madrid back level on aggregate before Karim Benzema made it 5-4 in extra-time.
Former Chelsea ace Jason Cundy told The Sports Bar: “Real Madrid find a way to go through. The tie was lost at Stamford Bridge, that’s where we lost it.
“The third goal, the gift that Mendy gave them, ultimately is the goal that cost us.
“The others have either been a brilliant piece of skill with someone setting up Benzema or Benzema scoring. He scored four goals in the tie, and one of them was an absolute gift.
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“Absolutely devastated. We were brilliant tonight, you can’t have asked for any more than to go to Real Madrid and put three goals behind them.
“We did have chances [to win the game]. They were [shocking] and Man City will tear them apart. We scored four against them and we were desperately unlucky with the Marcos Alonso goal as well.
“You can’t complain as they are the laws.
“They got away with one tonight, Real Madrid. They didn’t start playing until their first goal of the game, that changed the game a little bit.
“That deflated us and they knew they were then back in the tie. We had chances at Stamford Bridge and tonight.