Chelsea vs Real Madrid Champions League talking points

Chelsea have it all to do if they’re to make the Champions League semi-finals after they were beaten 2-0 by Real Madrid in the Bernabeu.

The reigning champions simply proved too strong and their cause was helped by Ben Chilwell’s red card on the hour mark.

Goals by Karim Benzema and Marco Asensio left Frank Lampard’s side well beaten on the night. Sportsmail’s DANIEL MATTHEWS reflects on the game with three talking points.  

IS LAMPARD JUST A HOSTAGE TO FORTUNE? 

The jarring facts are these: Chelsea have now failed to score in four successive matches for the first time in three decades. 

Should they fail to find the net against Brighton this weekend, Frank Lampard’s side will have gone five matches without a goal for the first time since 1981. 

Raheem Sterling rues a missed chance as Chelsea drew a blank for the fourth straight game

Frank Lampard’s side have a mountain to climb to make the semi-finals after the 2-0 defeat

The caretaker manager puts some of this down to confidence. Or a lack of it. ‘The players don’t know how good they are,’ Lampard said afterwards. 

They did create chances – Joao Felix raced clear early on, Thibaut Courtois made a fine save to deny Raheem Sterling and then, at the death, Mason Mount looked certain to score until Antonio Rudiger’s outstanding block. 

But generally, Chelsea’s lack of invention and threat was illustrated by the brilliance of Real Madrid. 

It is all well and good diagnosing the problem: belief. The issue for Lampard, raised by Sportsmail after the game, is what he can actually do to change that. 

This issue began festering long before his arrival, in fairness. Unfortunately, however, Lampard’s answer suggested Chelsea might simply be hostage to fortune. And that won’t fill supporters with hope that better days lie around the corner. 

‘My first feeling is work on the training pitch,’ Lampard said. ‘But when I consider the work that we do, we work a lot on the last third – finishing, crosses and the idea of how we want to get in the box… I don’t think we can go much further.’ 

He added: ‘If you work, keep going, something can change… so continue to work, speak to the players. No player doesn’t want to score a goal. Sometimes they need support, confidence and a push in a positive way.’ 

Joao Felix was largely ineffective as he formed a forward two with Sterling in Chelsea’s team

Karim Benzema celebrates after putting Real Madrid ahead with a close-range finish

Chelsea defender Ben Chilwell was shown a straight red card just before the hour mark for pulling back Madrid star Rodrygo

Substitute Marco Asensio gave Madrid breathing space and a two-goal cushion

REAL SHOW CHELSEA AND LIVERPOOL HOW TO PLAN

As the final whistle approached, the Santiago Bernabeu rose to salute two grandmasters: Luka Modric (37) and Toni Kroos (33). 

Together they had helped Real Madrid tame and then toy with Chelsea. 

They were, however, arguably outshone on Wednesday night by the outstanding Fede Valverde (24). ‘The best player on the pitch,’ according to Carlo Ancelotti after the game. 

Kroos was replaced by Aurelien Tchouameni (23), while filling in at left-back was the remarkable Eduardo Camavinga (20). 

Wednesday night was only the latest proof that Kroos and Modric can still dominate the biggest games. But the foundations of another great midfield are already in place. 

That’s good forward planning and joined up thinking. Liverpool – who have allowed a problem to snowball – and Chelsea – who have created a disjointed, lopsided squad – should take note. 

Luka Modric, 37, (left) and Toni Kroos, 33, (right) continued to look a class apart for Real

Fede Valverde’s excellent display suggested Real won’t be short in midfield for some time

FOFANA FLOPS ON HIS BIGGEST NIGHT 

Now, first the mitigation: Wesley Fofana was tasked with shackling Vinicius Jnr who, alongside Valverde and Karim Benzema, was among the game’s standout players. 

His bursts of speed, his relentlessness, his intelligence and trickery – he gave Chelsea kittens all evening. Still, though, this was a chastening night for Fofana. 

Chelsea paid £70million for the defender last summer and this represented the biggest night of his career so far. He’d rather forget it in a hurry. 

The 22-year-old was booked early on – after Vinicius threatened to leave him for dead – and his evening only grew more difficult thereafter. 

Time and again Real enjoyed success down Fofana’s side of Chelsea’s back three and soon it told. 

Fofana allowed Vinicius to run on his inside and meet Dani Carvajal’s chipped pass. The Brazilian’s shot was saved; Benzema was there to finish. And from there, Chelsea’s night became a real slog.

Lampard consoles Wesley Fofana after the defender endured a tough time against Vinicius 

The Brazilian is one of Real’s most dangerous player and gave Fofana the runaround

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