Thomas Tuchel has conceded that Chelsea face a near-impossible task to get back into their Uefa Champions League quarter-final tie with Real Madrid after suffering a dismal 3-1 defeat in the first leg at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.
Karim Benzema scored a hat-trick, comprising two masterful headers and a ruthless finish after Edouard Mendy's howler while Kai Havertz scored for the Blues, but Tuchel is not hopeful of turning around the contest and the German has been left baffled by his team's performances since the international break. Prior to the defeat to Real Madrid, Chelsea were thrashed 4-1 at home by Brentford in another uncharacteristically poor defensive display.
Asked if the tie was still winnable, Tuchel said: "No. Not at the moment, no. Because we have to find our level back, I don't know where it is since the international break.
"If things change, maybe, but how many clubs in worldwide football could do what we need, three goals difference? How often does this happen?"
Tuchel's blunt admission laid bare his anger at Chelsea's defensive miscues, wayward finishing and abject failure to match Real's energy.
The spluttering performance was completely unrecognisable from Chelsea's dynamic run to the Champions League title last season and, more recently, their six-game winning streak before the March international break.
Coming just five days after the humiliating defeat against Brentford in the Premier League – the first time they had lost to their west London neighbours since 1939 – the capitulation against Real was too much for Tuchel to take.
He barely had time to sit down for his post-match press conference before he let rip at his players.
"It was one of the worst first halves that I saw from us here at Stamford Bridge. It's very disappointing," he said. "We lost shape and sharpness. I don't really have an explanation. Before the international break we had a long winning streak and were very competitive.
"We can speak about the same defensive performance from five days ago. It is seven goals conceded. It's alarming. Nothing has changed in our approach."
Chelsea v Real Madrid player ratings
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CHELSEA RATINGS: Edouard Mendy - 4: Helpless in first half as Vinicius Junior hit bar and Benzema sent two perfect headers into the net. Catastrophic pass to Rudiger gifted Benzema his hat-trick for Real's crucial third and looked shaky for rest of game. AFP -
Andreas Christensen - 4: In right place to clear after Mendy saved from Valverde as Real threatened to make it 3-0 but generally given torrid time by Vinicius Junior. Hooked at break. EPA -
Thiago Silva - 6: Textbook defending from veteran Brazilian defender with well-timed block on compatriot Vinicius Junior. Couldn’t handle Benzema’s movement ahead of second goal. Headed chance over himself in 39th minute. EPA -
Antonio Rudiger - 5: German was booked in opening 20 minutes for cynical trip on Valverde which might explain his weak challenge on Benzema before Frenchman scored his third following dire Mendy pass. AP -
Jorginho - 6: Seemed helpless as Real ran riot in first half until producing pinpoint ball to pick on Havertz for German to head home and make it 2-1. Getty -
N’Golo Kante - 6: Trademark tackle and fine ball forward set up early chance for Havertz. Fired shot from distance well over. Also hooked at half-time, assuming due to injury as there was more obvious choices. AFP -
Reece James - 7: Lovely turn in first half to bamboozle Casemiro and saw curling free-kick saved by Courtois. Conceded needless corner that Militao headed straight at keeper. Had low shot saved by keeper late on. AFP -
Cesar Azpilicueta - 5: Captain found Valverde a handful down his left flank. Powerful strike was heading for top corner until Courtois produced fine save just after half-time. EPA -
Mason Mount 6: Urged forward at start by Tuchel and flashed dangerous early ball across box and looked like it was going to his night. But didn’t really make another big impact on game until curling finish on to roof of net with 20 minutes to go. AP -
Christian Pulisic - 4: American attacker kept very quiet by Real defence and offered little threat. The fact he started ahead of Lukaku shows how far the Belgian has fallen down the pecking order. AP -
Kai Havertz - 7: Fired shot over bar in fifth minute. Headed Chelsea back into game five minutes before break and comfortably their biggest attacking threat. Reuters -
SUBS: Hakim Ziyech – (On for Kante 46’) 5: Moroccan didn’t really give Chelsea the extra attacking impetus they were after and drilled a left-footed shot over bar in injury time when well placed. PA -
Mateo Kovacic – (On for Christensen 46’) 6: Brought on to give Chelsea a midfield boost but could only look on in horror as Mendy and Rudiger contrived to gift Real a third right after half-time. AP -
Romelu Lukaku – (Pulisic 64’) 4: Belgian striker missed two headed chances soon after coming on, the second of which he should have finished. Badly short of confidence for his club and doesn't look like he wants to be there. PA -
Ruben Loftus-Cheek – (Jorginho 64’) 5: The midfield battle was already being lost but Loftus-Cheek did nothing to change that after coming on. Getty -
REAL MADRID RATINGS: Thibaut Courtois - 7: Former Chelsea keeper, booed by home fans from off, made solid save from James free-kick and got hand on but couldn’t keep out Havertz’ header in first half. Great one-handed stop from Azpilicueta shot. PA -
Dani Carvajal - 8: On his toes in opening minute to clear dangerous Mount cross and impressive performance throughout from experienced full-back. Getty -
Eder Militao - 7: Speculative long-range shot in fourth minute saved down low by Mendy. Booked in first 20 minutes for hauling down on Havertz. Barely gave Pulisic a kick but limped off injured in second half. AFP -
David Alaba - 8: Important challenge to prevent Havertz getting free shot in goal early on in what was Austrian's 100th Champions League game. Immense at the back. Getty -
Ferland Mendy - 7: Under early pressure from James and Mount but French left-back regained his composure and was solid throughout. AFP -
Luka Modric - 8: What a ball from Croatian to pick out Benzema in the box for striker’s second. The veteran midfielder continues to have a major influence on big games. AFP -
Casemiro - 8: Had home fans demanding penalty after challenge on Havertz but was waved away from referee. Some crunching tackles and helped Real win midfield battle. AFP -
Toni Kroos - 7: Passing masterclass in midfield with Modric for an hour but was starting to look tired before being taken off with 16 minutes left. AFP -
Federico Valverde - 8: Played down the right and caused Chelsea plenty of problems, particularly in opening 45 minutes. AP -
Karim Benzema – 9.5: Two brilliant headers put Real in charge of quarter-final – one powered, one placed. Then put easy shot wide to miss out on first-half treble but his third did come just after break thanks to Chelsea’s disastrous defending. Reuters -
Vinicius Junior - 9: Rattled crossbar with 10th-minute strike when he should have scored. Perfect cross to pick out Benzema for Frenchman’s opener and was sensational out wide in the first 45 minutes when he made Christensen’s life a misery. AFP -
SUBS: Nacho – (On for Militao 65’) 7: Good block on Mount shot with 10 minutes to go. EPA -
Eduardo Camavinga – (On for Kroos 74’) 6: Came on for a shattered Kroos and helped Real see out the match with a 3-1 advantage. Getty -
Gareth Bale – (On for Benzema 86’) N/A. AFP -
Dani Ceballos – (Valverdy 86’) N/A. Reuters
It was especially notable that Tuchel was willing to publicly lambast his players because he rarely shows displeasure with them in his media briefings.
Having led Chelsea to European and Fifa Club World Cup glory in his first year in charge, Tuchel is facing the first real on-pitch crisis of his reign.
He was adamant that the on-going sale of Chelsea, forced by the British government's sanctions of the club's Russian owner Roman Abramovich, was not a distraction, or at least not one that he was willing to accept as an excuse from his players.
"I don't think there's a deeper reason for it," he said. "We were so far off our level of everything the game demands, tactically, shape, stiffness, in challenges."
Tuchel took responsibility for the tactical set-up that allowed Benzema and Vinicius Junior to terrorise Andreas Christensen on the right side of Chelsea's defence.
"It's on all of us, I'm included in this. For the situation on the flank with Christensen, it was my mistake," he said. "I don't have really explanation because we have fallen from being very competitive."
Nothing encapsulated Chelsea's night to forget better than the late chance missed by Romelu Lukaku, whose woeful header underlined why Tuchel had preferred to start with Kai Havertz.
Havertz had scored before half-time with a clinical header, giving them hope before Mendy and Antonio Rudiger combind to gift Benzema the third goal.
Worryingly for Tuchel, even Chelsea's place in the Premier League's top four is far from certain if they carry on in their current form.
"I worry more about Southampton on Saturday than Real Madrid on Tuesday," Tuchel said. "If we don't get our heads and legs straight and our mentality right we will not win. And then this tie is not alive."
