By Sedara Philip
Real Madrid mercilessly crushed Chelsea’s aspirations of emerging victorious from a season of utter mediocrity as the holders advanced to the Champions League semi-final at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues were always up against it to overcome a 2-0 deficit from the Bernabeu leg, and their cause was not helped by a recurring flaw as a tenacious performance was undercut by squandering a string of obvious opportunities.
N’Golo Kante missed a wonderful first-half opportunity, while Thibaut Courtois, the former Chelsea goalie, denied Marc Cucurella when he appeared destined to cut Real’s lead in half.
The Spanish champions also had their moments, and it turned out that they are one of the best teams at making their opponents pay for missed opportunities.
Before the hour, Rodrygo ended a quick counterattack orchestrated by Vinicius Junior by scoring from close range to end the match.
With 10 minutes remaining, Federico Valverde’s magnificent, selfless labor allowed the Brazilian striker to walk in the second.
While Chelsea’s interim manager Frank Lampard, who has now suffered four losses in as many games, must find a way to turn things around, Carlo Ancelotti’s quest for an unprecedented sixth victory as a coach in this tournament will continue with a semi-final matchup against either Bayern Munich or Manchester City.
