Real Madrid advances to Champions League semifinals

The Real Madrid moved closer to the Champions League semifinals on Wednesday by beating Chelsea 2-0, with goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga preventing a greater defeat in this first leg of the continental tournament.

Goals from Karim Benzema (21) and Marco Asensio (74) have put Real Madrid in an advantage for the second leg next week at Stamford Bridge, where the Blues, who finished with ten men due to Ben Chilwell's expulsion (59), will have to fight back.

One year after the match that sent Real Madrid to the Champions League semifinals against Chelsea last season, the white team dominated the English side, whose goal from the beginning was to try to survive at the Bernabeu.

With a defense of five men and counterattack as their main weapon, Frank Lampard's team was the first, however, to give a scare to the local fans in a great run from Joao Felix, whose shot was saved by Thibaut Courtois (2).

That was practically the only time we saw the Portuguese, on loan from Atletico Madrid, who gradually disappeared from the match until being replaced by Trevoh Chaolobah (65), amidst jeers from the Bernabeu.

Chelsea started intense, helped by Kanté's good performance in midfield.

The French midfielder, who had provided the ball for Joao Felix's run, again caused another scare just two minutes later (4).

- Benzema leads the way -

Chelsea confused a Real Madrid side from the start, but the latter gradually settled in and took control of the ball, ending up pushing Chelsea back into their own half.

Karim Benzema warned with a shot from almost no angle saved by Kepa (12), before reappearing to tap in a loose ball on the goal line left by his teammate Vinicius (21), after Dani Carvajal's cross.

Chelsea responded with a cross from Reece James headed by Raheem Sterling, which Courtois saved (23) after another counterattack from the blues, who struggled to get out of their own half.

Real Madrid continued to pose most of their danger down the left flank, where Vinicius was running, and he could have increased the lead with a shot from almost no angle that Thiago Silva cleared off the goal line (26).

The Brazilian forward was a nightmare for opposing defenders, winning almost all the one-on-one battles.

- Numerical superiority -

In the second half, Real Madrid solidified their dominance with their numerical advantage after Chilwell was sent off for fouling Rodrygo when he was entering the opponent's area (59).

With one less player, Chelsea closed ranks and left Kai Havertz alone up front, who had replaced Sterling (65), in an attempt to take advantage of some counterattack.

Real Madrid could have increased their lead with a beautiful curling shot from Modric that narrowly missed the top corner (51), but had to wait until the 74th minute for the second goal to come.

Asensio, who had come on for Rodrygo (71), received a pass from Vinicius in the edge of the area and unleashed a shot that went into the goal close to the post.

The second goal was the final blow for Chelsea, who spent the last minutes more concerned about avoiding a third goal from Real Madrid than trying to reduce the deficit on the scoreboard.