In the quarterfinal return leg at Stamford Bridge next Tuesday, Chelsea must score at least twice, considering the fact that they have gone four games without scoring.
They were denied a late goal when former Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger made a brilliant stop to prevent replacement Mason Mount from scoring a goal that would have given the Blues a boost going into the second game.
During this rough season, the Champions League is their final chance to win a trophy, and Felix nearly gave the Blues a perfect start in the second minute before being denied by Courtois.
While Real occasionally struggled to find its rhythm in the middle of the field, N’Golo Kante’s return supported Chelsea’s attack, and Felix kept Courtois on his toes until Chilwell was dismissed in the 59th minute when he was substituted.
In a pregame interview, Chelsea owner Todd Boehly stated that his team was “enthusiastic about the future” and confidently predicted a 3-0 victory over Real Madrid.
After a sixth game without a victory and the club slipping towards the bottom half of the Premier League standings, it is difficult to understand the source of the euphoria and confidence Boehly has.
Chelsea played in their ninth Champions League match of the year under a third new management. Chelsea has gone through 10 permanent managers since Italian Carlo Ancelotti was fired by the Blues in May 2011 after finishing second in the standings, firing seven of them, including Frank Lampard in January 2021.
Before accepting Chelsea’s invitation to assume leadership until the end of the season, Lampard was scheduled to lead the Real Madrid game as a TV commentator.
Unfortunately, the club icon has now lost 13 games in a row in all competitions while playing for Chelsea and Everton this season.
