Real Madrid vs Chelsea. UEFA Champions League Semi-Final.
Alfredo Di Stefano.
Report as Chelsea grab an away goal to hand them an advantage ahead of the second leg at Stamford Bridge next Wednesday; Christian Pulisic opened the scoring before Karim Benzema levelled the tie
Wednesday 28 April 2021 06:31, UK
Chelsea grabbed a potentially vital away goal in a 1-1 draw with Real Madrid in their Champions League semi-final first-leg tie.
The backdrop of Real's training ground may not have screamed 'Champions League semi-final' but the quality on the pitch was up to the usual standard in the first half with Chelsea taking the lead after 13 minutes when Christian Pulisic rounded Thibaut Courtois to give Thomas Tuchel's side the perfect start.
Madrid looked an ageing side up against the bright and bubbly Chelsea attack but managed to fire their way back into the game when Karim Benzema latched onto a couple of knockdowns in the Chelsea area to level the scores in thumping fashion (29).
The game slipped into a more docile tempo after the break with both teams seemingly happy with their lot. Former Chelsea star Eden Hazard was introduced with 25 minutes left but he had no impact on the game as Chelsea looked in control in typically assured fashion under Tuchel.
The pair will meet again next Wednesday (May 5) at Stamford Bridge to decide who reaches the final in Istanbul on May 29.
Both clubs have a rich recent Champions League history but this was the first meeting between them in 23 years, since the 1998 UEFA Super Cup in Monaco.
The rain in Spain made for some wet and wild conditions with players slipping on the sodden turf but Chelsea adapted well.
Their clever and quick passing in midfield was causing Real lots of problems and Timo Werner really should have given the west Londoners the lead on 10 minutes. Pulisic's header across goal put it on a plate for the German but he was denied from six yards out by a sprawling Thibaut Courtois save.
Pulisic had another chance to play Werner in minutes later but decided against it which proved a masterstroke as he gave Chelsea the lead.
Antonio Rudiger picked him out over the top with a fine ball and instead of passing to Werner he decided to take Courtois out of the equation by dribbling around him and fired past two defenders on the line.
Chelsea's speed, energy and intensity was too much for Real, who didn't look comfortable in their 3-5-2 system. The only thing missing from Chelsea was their ruthlessness in the final third with final passes or finishes failing to hit the required level.
Benzema made them pay for that wastefulness.
He sounded a warning to the Chelsea defence with a 25-yard strike that clipped the post but made no mistake on 29 minutes. A short corner was launched to the back post where Madrid won consecutive headers in the box that eventually fell to Benzema, who swivelled and smacked an unstoppable finish into the roof of the net.
Werner had another half chance after the break but took too long to fire at goal which allowed Raphael Varane back to make a crucial block.
It is almost two years since Hazard made his €100m move to Madrid and he's yet to repay that price tag after a luckless run with injuries. He sprung from the bench midway through the break but it was Chelsea's substitutions that impacted the game as Hakim Ziyech added some extra calmness to their attacks.
He curled a free-kick from 20 yards at Courtois but Chelsea didn't seem too motivated to extend their lead, especially with Benzema continuing to look dangerous when given space.
Only a Varane header as the game approached stoppage time really troubled the Chelsea defence but it dribbled wide of the post. It is most definitely advantage Chelsea.
At 36 years old, Silva was the oldest outfield player to start in a Champions League semi-final since April 2011, when Ryan Giggs, at 37, started for Manchester United against Schalke.
He looked far from out of place, in fact, he was the best player on the pitch, marshalling his defence in dominant style and denying the dangerous Real attack any space to work in. The Benzema goal was Madrid's only shot on target in the game.
Silva remains a fine example to any young defender that pace isn't everything when you can read the game as well as him.
Thomas Tuchel said to BT Sport: "We started the game very well, with a lot of courage and quality. We deserved to win the first half, we had chances. Unfortunately they scored from a set-piece and they had nothing else, we didn't allow any chances.
"It was a disappointing score at half-time. We had to stay calm and not lose confidence. The second half was very tactical, you could feel that we are a bit tired. We only had a few days to recover from another tough away game. We have to live with 1-1.
"The goal was well deserved and we should have scored at least one more. We conceded more or less out of nothing and that can always happen against individual quality."
Chelsea turn their attentions back to the Premier League on Saturday when they host Fulham, live on Sky Sports (5.30 kick off). Meanwhile, Real Madrid, who are embroiled in an exciting La Liga title race, host Osasuna also on Saturday.
