Chelsea were left heart-broken as a superb fightback at the Bernabeu against Real Madrid on Tuesday was not enough to secure qualification for the Champions League semi-finals.
Thomas Tuchel's side wiped out Madrid's 3-1 lead from the quarter-final first leg as Mason Mount, Antonio Rudiger and Timo Werner put the reigning champions on the cusp of a stunning victory.
Then Luka Modric, 36, put all his skill and experience into one moment of genius as a sumptuous 30-yard pass with the outside of his right foot set up Rodrygo beautifully and the substitute volleyed in.
In extra time, it was the turn of Karim Benzema to deliver on the big stage again.
After scoring a hat-trick in the first leg to give Madrid a 3-1 lead, Benzema dashed Chelsea's hopes again, capitalising on a Rudiger slip to head in. Real secured a 5-4 aggregate victory despite a 3-2 loss on Tuesday.
“It was another incredible night at the Bernabeu,” said Modric. “We suffered but we never gave up. We kept fighting until the end and managed to advance. We gave everything we had and showed great character.”
Modric's moment of brilliance took social media by storm, with pundits and fans marvelling at its precision and execution.
Rio Ferdinand, on BT Sports, said: "This pass from Luka Modric is why I lost my voice today! That's illegal, that. Phenomenal."
Thierry Henry and Jamie Carragher also lauded the sensational move, which many have already labelled the pass of the year.
"It was another incredible night, what a sweet-tasting loss," Modric told Movistar Plus.
"We didn't give up until the end. Despite going 0-3, I don't think we played a bad game. Another night of suffering, but the important thing is that we have qualified."
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Karim Benzema celebrates scoring Real Madrid's second goal against Chelsea to earn his team a place in the Champions League semi-finals 5-4 on aggregate despite losing 3-2 on the night. AFP -

Mason Mount celebrates after putting Chelsea in front at Real Madrid. AP -

Mason Mount puts Chelsea in front at Real Madrid. Getty -

Antonio Rudiger celebrates scoring Chelsea's second goal. Action Images -

Antonio Rudiger with teammate Mateo Kovacic after his goal. AP -

Chelsea coach Thomas Tuchel watches the action. EPA -

Marcos Alonso celebrates after scoring for Chelsea, but it was then disallowed for handball. AP -

Timo Werner finishes off a brilliant run to score Chelsea's third goal. Reuters -

Timo Werner celebrates scoring the third goal with Mason Mount. Action Images -

Real's Rodrygo celebrates with Karim Benzema after scoring to make the aggregate 4-4 and take the match into extra time. AFP -

Karim Benzema heads Real's second goal to put them ahead 5-4 on aggregate. EPA -

Benzema celebrates his extra-time goal. AFP -

Real Madrid's striker Karim Benzema celebrates the winning goal. EPA
RedCrow Intelligence Company Profile
Started: 2016
Founders: Hussein Nasser Eddin, Laila Akel, Tayeb Akel
Based: Ramallah, Palestine
Sector: Technology, Security
# of staff: 13
Investment: $745,000
Investors: Palestine’s Ibtikar Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Gothams and angel investors
Company Fact Box
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
Visa changes give families fresh hope
Foreign workers can sponsor family members based solely on their income
Male residents employed in the UAE can sponsor immediate family members, such as wife and children, subject to conditions that include a minimum salary of Dh 4,000 or Dh 3,000 plus accommodation.
Attested original marriage certificate, birth certificate of the child, ejari or rental contract, labour contract, salary certificate must be submitted to the government authorised typing centre to complete the sponsorship process
In Abu Dhabi, a woman can sponsor her husband and children if she holds a residence permit stating she is an engineer, teacher, doctor, nurse or any profession related to the medical sector and her monthly salary is at least Dh 10,000 or Dh 8,000 plus accommodation.
In Dubai, if a woman is not employed in the above categories she can get approval to sponsor her family if her monthly salary is more than Dh 10,000 and with a special permission from the Department of Naturalization and Residency Dubai.
To sponsor parents, a worker should earn Dh20,000 or Dh19,000 a month, plus a two-bedroom accommodation
While you're here
The specs
Price, base: Dh228,000 / Dh232,000 (est)
Engine: 5.7-litre Hemi V8
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 395hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 552Nm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.5L / 100km
Mohamed bin Zayed Majlis
'Cheb%20Khaled'
Hotel Silence
Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir
Pushkin Press
The Penguin
Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz
Creator: Lauren LeFranc
Rating: 4/5
Key changes
Commission caps
For life insurance products with a savings component, Peter Hodgins of Clyde & Co said different caps apply to the saving and protection elements:
• For the saving component, a cap of 4.5 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 90 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• On the protection component, there is a cap of 10 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 160 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• Indemnity commission, the amount of commission that can be advanced to a product salesperson, can be 50 per cent of the annualised premium for the first year or 50 per cent of the total commissions on the policy calculated.
• The remaining commission after deduction of the indemnity commission is paid equally over the premium payment term.
• For pure protection products, which only offer a life insurance component, the maximum commission will be 10 per cent of the annualised premium multiplied by the length of the policy in years.
Disclosure
Customers must now be provided with a full illustration of the product they are buying to ensure they understand the potential returns on savings products as well as the effects of any charges. There is also a “free-look” period of 30 days, where insurers must provide a full refund if the buyer wishes to cancel the policy.
“The illustration should provide for at least two scenarios to illustrate the performance of the product,” said Mr Hodgins. “All illustrations are required to be signed by the customer.”
Another illustration must outline surrender charges to ensure they understand the costs of exiting a fixed-term product early.
Illustrations must also be kept updatedand insurers must provide information on the top five investment funds available annually, including at least five years' performance data.
“This may be segregated based on the risk appetite of the customer (in which case, the top five funds for each segment must be provided),” said Mr Hodgins.
Product providers must also disclose the ratio of protection benefit to savings benefits. If a protection benefit ratio is less than 10 per cent "the product must carry a warning stating that it has limited or no protection benefit" Mr Hodgins added.
Company%20profile
The biog
Favourite book: You Are the Placebo – Making your mind matter, by Dr Joe Dispenza
Hobby: Running and watching Welsh rugby
Travel destination: Cyprus in the summer
Life goals: To be an aspirational and passionate University educator, enjoy life, be healthy and be the best dad possible.
If you go
The flights
Fly direct to London from the UAE with Etihad, Emirates, British Airways or Virgin Atlantic from about Dh2,500 return including taxes.
The hotel
Rooms at the convenient and art-conscious Andaz London Liverpool Street cost from £167 (Dh800) per night including taxes.
The tour
The Shoreditch Street Art Tour costs from £15 (Dh73) per person for approximately three hours.
Tewellah by Nawal Zoghbi is out now.
WITHIN%20SAND
if you go
The flights
Air France offer flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi to Cayenne, connecting in Paris from Dh7,300.
The tour
Cox & Kings (coxandkings.com) has a 14-night Hidden Guianas tour of Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. It includes accommodation, domestic flights, transfers, a local tour manager and guided sightseeing. Contact for price.










