Frank Lampard vowed Chelsea "will be back" after a dismal season was effectively ended by Real Madrid's 2-0 Champions League win on Tuesday.
A Rodrygo brace sealed a 4-0 aggregate win to book a place in the semi-finals for title-holders Real Madrid – and eliminated any hopes of Chelsea re-appearing in next season's Champions League.
In fact Chelsea face the bleak prospect of no European football at all; the Blues sit 11th in the Premier League table and are out of the FA Cup. The last time Chelsea failed to qualify for a European club tournament was 2016/17.
The West Londoners have been left counting the cost of an outlay in excess of €600 million on players under new owners and will now have a huge task to balance their books without European football to help boost club coffers.
Chelsea threatened either side of half-time with glorious chances for Marc Cucurella, who saw his close-range effort from Reece James’ cross beaten away by Thibaut Courtois, and N’Golo Kante whose shot was blocked by Eder Militao.
Profligacy has been Chelsea's undoing in a miserable 2022/23 campaign and they were punished again by two simple second-half Rodrygo finishes.
“For 60 minutes of the game, I think you probably saw why I picked the line-up,” said Lampard. “We had big energy, big organisation. We caused Real Madrid a lot of problems.
“The only thing missing from our game was a goal. We had really good chances to do that. But at this level, when you’re in a strong moment, the first half was a strong moment for us.
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Real Madrid's Rodrygo scores his side's second goal past Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga in the Champions League quarter-final second leg at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, April 18, 2023. AP -
Rodrygo of Real Madrid celebrates with teammates after scoring the team's second goal. Getty -
Real Madrid's Rodrygo is fouled by Chelsea's goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga after scoring the second. AP -
Rodrygo of Real Madrid scores their first goal. Getty -
Real Madrid's Rodrygo celebrates scoring the opening goal. AFP -
Real Madrid's players celebrates after Rodrygo, centre, scored the opening goal during. AP -
Real Madrid's Rodrygo celebrates after scoring the opening goal. AP -
Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois saves from Chelsea's Marc Cucurella. Reuters -
Real Madrid players congratulate Thibaut Courtois after his save against Chelsea's Marc Cucurella. Reuters -
Marc Cucurella of Chelsea tangles with Rodrygo of Real Madrid. EPA -
Real Madrid's Thibaut Courtois saves from Chelsea's Mykhailo Mudryk. Reuters -
Real Madrid's Luka Modric has a shot. AFP -
Luka Modric of Real Madrid shoots at Chelsea keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga. EPA -
Chelsea's Conor Gallagher heads the ball over the bar. AFP -
Chelsea caretaker manager Frank Lampard. Getty -
Kai Havertz of Chelsea reacts after being fouled by Eder Militao of Real Madrid, not pictured, who is shown a yellow card. Getty -
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti talks to striker Karim Benzema. AFP -
Chelsea's Kai Havertz and Real Madrid's Eder Militao challenge for the ball. AP -
N'Golo Kante of Chelsea shoots. Getty -
Real Madrid's Rodrygo and Chelsea's Marc Cucurella. PA -
Rodrygo of Real Madrid is challenged by Enzo Fernandez of Chelsea. Getty -
Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly at the game. Getty -
Former Spanish monarch King Juan Carlos, right, before the game. AP
“Our game was exactly how I wanted it. One or two goals in those 60 minutes changes the face of it. We didn’t do that. At this level, [Real] are so clinical. You saw the result.
“The reality is we’ve been fortunate to have huge success for 20 years. Many clubs in the Premier League would dream of our success in the Champions League and as Premier League winners.
“If this is a year where we’re not where we want to be, and there are probably reasons for the transition. A few years ago we didn’t make the Champions League for the following year, and won the Premier League. We can’t be too short-term with it.
“People will make a lot out of this season for Chelsea because we’ve had so much success. The reality is that this club is going to be back. It will take work. It will take maybe a bit of process. I think the fans appreciated the performance today.”
It is now four defeats out of four for Lampard since he took temporary charge of the team after the sacking of Graham Potter on April 2.
They have scored just one goal in their last five matches – under three different managers – and are in serious danger of finishing outside of the Premier League’s top half for the first time since 1996.
Ratings
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CHELSEA RATINGS: Kepa Arrizabalaga – 6. The Spaniard probably predicted a much busier night, and though he conceded twice, he could do little about either goal. EPA -
Wesley Fofana – 6. Had the undesirable task of monitoring Vinicius Jr, which he did well for most of the game and, at times, got forward to provide the overlap on the wing for Chelsea’s attacks. Getty -
Thiago Silva – 6. Composed in defence, and his experience was needed to give Chelsea a chance. Handled his duties well. AP -
Trevoh Chalobah – 5. Came into the starting line-up for Koulibaly, who was injured in the first leg, and headed away a dangerous free-kick from the Chelsea box. Was beaten down the left wing by Rodrygo for the goal that killed the tie. AP -
Reece James – 7. Chelsea’s most promising player, who waved off a hamstring concern midway through. Looked up for the task of closing down players and getting forward on the wing early on, and swung in a promising cross into the box inside 10 minutes that Kante hit wide. Denied an effort from distance by Militao. Booked. AFP -
Enzo Fernandez – 6. Needed to do better with a free-kick into the box in the first half from a promising position. Later, he hit a low strike from distance wide of Courtois’s goal before he fired a powerful shot that the Real Madrid goalkeeper was equal to. AP -
N’Golo Kante – 7. Should have scored the opening goal for the Blues to kickstart the comeback but was unable to find the target when his shot went wide. Seemed to take up the task of causing problems on the right wing when James was in trouble. Getty -
Mateo Kovacic – 6. The Croatian battled it out in midfield with Kroos but ultimately didn’t have an impact on the game. AP -
Marc Cucurella – 5. Replaced the suspended Ben Chilwell. Booked for a foul on Rodrygo. Denied on the stroke of half-time after he hesitated when James’s cross fell to him, giving Courtois time to deny the shot. Reuters -
Conor Gallagher – 6. Handed a surprise start in a packed midfield, sitting behind Havertz. He found himself in all the right places but was unable to get the vital touch to trouble Real Madrid. AFP -
Kai Havertz – 5. Finally had an effort in the second half when he was put through on goal, but Courtois was able to save comfortably. Getty -
SUBS: Raheem Sterling (Fernandez 67’) – 6. Dropped to the bench and made an immediate impact on his return but was often loose in possession. EPA -
Joao Felix (Gallagher 67’) – 6. Nutmegged Militao with a storming run into the final third but the Atletico Madrid loanee could only find the feet of Camavinga. AFP -
Mykhailo Mudryk (Cucurella 68’) – 6. Superb defensively to support Chalobah and diminish Vinicius Jr’s threat, but struggled to find the target at the other end of the pitch. Booked. Reuters -
Mason Mount (Havertz 77’) – N/R. Unable to make enough of an impact as his side were on the back foot. Getty -
REAL MADRID RATINGS: Thibaut Courtois – 7. Received a hostile reception on his return to Stamford Bridge but had little to worry about before he stood big to deny Cucurella on the stroke of half-time. Superb when needed. Getty -
Dani Carvajal – 6. Ventured forward on the wing on several occasions and linked up well with Rodrygo in the first half. EPA -
Eder Militao – 8. Booted away a poor corner from James inside 20 minutes before he denied Kante a tap-in just after half-time. Picked out Rodrygo who had already started his run on the wing for the opening goal. Booked for a challenge on Havertz and will miss the semi-final first leg. Reuters -
David Alaba – 7. Cleared a dangerous cross by James before half-time with Gallagher lurking in the box. Taken off at the break and replaced by Rudiger. Getty -
Eduardo Camavinga – 7. Continued his run at left-back but seemingly struggled with the danger James posed with crosses. The Frenchman looked lively after the break with a darting run before he was brought down by James. AFP -
Federico Valverde – 7. The Uruguayan hinted at the threat he can pose on the ball with a darting run into the box before taking a touch too many. Provided Rodrygo with the tap-in for Real’s second. Reuters -
Toni Kroos – 6. Rested at the weekend, the German was confident and calm in the midfield. AFP -
Luka Modric – 6. Made two uncharacteristic errors early on that Chelsea were unable to capitalise on, but forced Kepa into a decent block in the first half. Getty -
Rodrygo – 9. Dealt Chelsea the sucker punch with a goal he made virtually by himself with a darting run down the wing. Tapped home Valverde’s pass to double Real’s lead. Getty -
Karim Benzema – 5. The in-form Frenchman had a difficult start with Chelsea’s attacking attitude and was unable to trouble Kepa with his solitary low effort. Getty -
Vinicius Junior – 7. Patient, and contributed defensively early on. The Brazilian was readily available for long balls, and he tested Kepa with a shot on the half-hour mark. Couldn’t connect with a Modric cross before half-time. AP -
SUBS: Antonio Rudiger (Alba 46’) – 6. A half-time change as he made a return to Stamford Bridge following his move last summer. Reuters -
Aurelien Tchouameni (Benzema 71’) – N/R. Got stuck in, and managed the game well as Madrid closed out the tie. Reuters -
Dani Ceballos (Kroos 77’) – N/R. Fired straight at Kepa in the last kick of the game. AP -
Marco Asensio (Rodrygo 82’) N/R. Part of a double substitution as Real Madrid made it 2-0. Nacho Fernandez (Carvajal 82’) N/R. Helped Madrid see out the game. Getty
Real boss Carlo Ancelotti said he thought Chelsea caused his team problems during the first half and at one stage looked like they might be able to salvage the tie.
He praised goalkeeper Courtois for making the crucial intervention against Cucurella late in the period that allowed Real to take control after the break.
“His save at the end of the first half was incredible,” said Ancelotti.
“That could have changed the dynamic of the second half. Getting to half-time 0-0 was very important. Chelsea’s intensity in the first half, they couldn’t have upheld that for 90 minutes.
“It was a complicated game as we predicted. Chelsea gave everything especially in the first half. They caused us a lot of problems. Courtois saved us. We kept it 0-0 till half-time. In the second half, Chelsea lost their intensity and we were able to control the game better.”
