Real Madrid beat Chelsea to enter Champions League SF, Milan defeat Napoli on mixture

Chelsea, in the meantime, doesn’t know when it’ll compete on this elite stage once more.

Madrid’s 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday accomplished a 4-0 mixture victory and noticed the Spanish giants advance to the Champions League semifinals for the eleventh time in 13 seasons.

Rodrygo scored twice within the second half to derail a spirited Chelsea comeback that lasted the very best a part of an hour, however in the end led to a fourth straight loss beneath interim supervisor Frank Lampard.

Madrid can proceed its quest for extra glory in a contest it has received a file 14 instances, with both Manchester City or Bayern Munich to come back within the subsequent spherical.

“We are able to be there and we’re able to combat for the ultimate,” Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti mentioned.

City was main Bayern 3-0 after the primary leg of the quarterfinals, establishing a probable rematch of final yr’s semifinals. Madrid scored twice in added time and one other in further time on the Bernabeu final season to win 6-5 on mixture.

Madrid is already the one staff to efficiently defend the Champions League in its fashionable guise – profitable it three consecutive instances from 2016-18 – and remains to be in competition to win it back-to-back once more.

It is a file that no different staff can compete with – and with a ahead line of Vinicius Junior, Karim Benzema and Rodrygo in such daunting type, the defending champions will take some stopping.

Chelsea’s depressing marketing campaign, nonetheless, is now destined to finish with no trophy.

Defeat left Lampard fielding questions on the place the 2021 European champion goes after its troubled begin to life beneath new house owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.

“People will make a lot about this season for Chelsea because we’ve had so much success,” Lampard mentioned. “The reality is this club is going to be back, but it will take work.”

Chelsea sits eleventh within the Premier League and 17 factors off the highest 4 regardless of spending round $630 million on new signings.

A membership that received the Champions League twice beneath former proprietor Roman Abramovich now seems sure to overlook out on the competitors subsequent season.

With the battle for the highest 4 growing in depth within the gentle of a resurgent Arsenal, an enhancing Manchester United and a Saudi-backed Newcastle, Chelsea’s route again to European membership soccer’s elite competitors will not be straight ahead.

“In this moment to try to predict what happens going forward, will it be good, will it be bad, I think is pretty pointless,” Lampard mentioned. “But I do think we can set the building blocks now of where we want to get to.”

Chelsea’s slide has been sudden.

Just two years in the past, the London membership received the Champions League for a second time in its historical past, beneath supervisor Thomas Tuchel.

The German supervisor, who was vastly well-liked amongst followers, was fired earlier within the season and changed by Graham Potter, who suffered the identical destiny at first of this month.

Lampard’s arrival has not prompted an upturn in type, together with his staff scoring simply as soon as in its 4 losses since his appointment.

That lack of leading edge was evident once more within the quarterfinals second leg towards Madrid as Chelsea missed a number of possibilities.

N’Golo Kante didn’t convert clear openings in every half with the rating nonetheless 0-0. And former Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois beat away a close-range effort from Marc Cucurella simply earlier than the break.

The dwelling staff was made to pay for these misses as Madrid struck twice on the break.

Ancelotti admitted his staff “suffered a lot” earlier than Rodrygo’s objectives.

The Brazil ahead opened the scoring within the 58th minute when handing over Vinicius’ cutback. He added a second within the eightieth, this time after Federico Valverde’s help.

He might need had a hat trick if not for a first-half effort hitting the surface of the put up.

The dwelling followers headed for the exits in numbers as soon as Rodrygo’s second purpose crossed the road.

But those that remained applauded on the finish after being given some trigger for encouragement as Chelsea pushed Madrid for a big a part of the match.

“I think the fans appreciated the performance today,” Lampard said. “Maybe they’ve had moments this season when they are not feeling like that, so we have to latch onto that.”

Milan enter semis

AC Milan reached the Champions League semi-finals for the primary time since they received the trophy 16 years in the past due to a first-half purpose from Olivier Giroud at Napoli that secured a 1-1 draw and 2-1 mixture win regardless of a barrage of stress on Tuesday.

Napoli battled till the tip however couldn’t break down the resilient Milan defence till striker Victor Osimhen equalised three minutes into stoppage time with a bullet header however it was too late because the referee ended the match seconds later.

Seven-time European champions Milan will now face both Inter Milan or Benfica, who meet on Wednesday on the San Siro with the Italian aspect main 2-0 from the primary leg.

This was the third assembly between Milan and Napoli in 16 days, with Stefano Pioli’s visiting aspect having claimed a 4-0 victory towards the runaway Serie A leaders on April 2.