Rodrygo’s brace ends Chelsea’s European journey

Chelsea’s European journey ended on Tuesday after a 2-0 loss at Stamford Bridge to Real Madrid as the Blues went out on a 4-0 aggregate scoreline in the quarterfinal.

The Premier League side lost the first leg 2-0 and were in desperate search of a win to break a seven-game winless run in all competitions. Their poor run of form has seen the club under three different managers this season, with Frank Lampard being the latest.

Despite taking charge on an interim basis on April 8 against the Wolves, Chelsea has lost all games since then. The Londoners, two-time UEFA Champions League winners, were strong in the early exchanges, with Ngolo Kante and Marc Cucurella missing the home side’s best chances in the first half.

They were made to pay in the second half after holding off the Los Blancos in the first 45 minutes for a goalless first half. Rodrygo’s first goal came before the hour mark before killing off any hopes with ten minutes left on the clock.

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti was delighted with the result that sees his team through to the semi-final and within touching distance of a fifteenth European title, plus the possibility of retaining the trophy they won last season.

However, Frank Lampard was satisfied with the performance of his players despite the loss, albeit he agreed it wasn’t acceptable in the UCL.

“We played really well for 60 minutes. We created chances, but you have to take them. You don’t want to praise the performance too much when you lose at this level, but we were much improved. This club has been further in this competition, and the players can take this feeling forward with them for the future.” Lampard said after the game.

The manager demanded better from his players in subsequent games stating that he won’t spare any player whose performance dropped in standard. Chelsea will only try to secure a decent finish to what has been a terrible season with their remaining Premier League games.

Daniel Ademiju Idowu