Chelsea 1-3 Real Madrid: Player Ratings as brilliant Benzema downs Blues at Stamford Bridge | UEFA Champions League 2021-22
Real Madrid secured a statement 3-1 victory against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the Champions League quarterfinals first leg fixture. Karim Benzema scored a stunning hat-trick to give his side a commanding lead going into the second leg.
Chelsea and Real Madrid came into this UEFA Champions League quarter-final tie on the back of strong performances in the round of 16.
Chelsea saw off Lille 4-1 on aggregate to progress. Real Madrid, on the other hand, overcame French giants Paris Saint-Germain 3-2 on aggregate thanks to a hat-trick by Karim Benzema in the second leg.
The Blues made a good start and were on the front foot early in the first half. They passed the ball with confidence and created a few half chances after penetrating Real Madrid's lines. However, they lacked sharpness and alertness at the back, which proved to be costly.
Positioning errors in the first half cost Chelsea as Real Madrid capitalized in style. Los Blancos pressed high and cut the passing lanes to shift momentum in their favor. Benzema headed in a clinical, quickfire double from two beautiful passes by Vinicius Jr. and Luka Modric midway through the first half.
Kai Havertz headed one back from a wonderful dinked pass by Jorginho to give Chelsea a glimmer of hope just before half-time. The teams went into half-time with Real Madrid holding a narrow 2-1 lead.
#UCL
Luka Modrić, Karim Benzema. Never ending beauty. Mamma mia. ⚪️⭐️ #UCL
Enjoy Champions League stars - and it’s 81 goals in UCL for Karim. https://t.co/X6Xozrp8bw
However, shortly after the restart, Karim Benzema was gifted the ball from a poor pass by Chelsea custodian Edouard Mendy. Antonio Rudiger, too, was to blame for his weak response to the situation. The Frenchman pounced on the opportunity and slotted home to complete his second UCL hat-trick in as many games.
The Blues tried to fight back with one attacking substitution after another. However, their substitutes failed to make a real impact. Romelu Lukaku missed two headers which could have helped his side claw back into the game. In the end, their efforts were in vain as the visitors will head back to Spain with a two-goal cushion for the second leg.
All that said, let's take a look at the player ratings for this tasty quarter-final tie, starting with the home side.
Chelsea Player Ratings
Edouard Mendy - 5/10
The Senegalese international was helpless for Real Madrid's first two goals, having been let down by his defenders. However, he recovered well in the first half with some assured saves. He lost the plot early in the second half, gifting a pass to Karim Benzema to complete his hat-trick.
Andreas Christensen - 4/10
He struggled against Vinicius Jr.'s pace in the first half and made a few clumsy challenges on his Brazilian counterpart. Poor positioning and a lack of communication led to Real Madrid's first goal. The Dane was subbed off at half-time.
Thiago Silva - 5/10
Struggled to organize his defense against Real's blistering pace. He was caught out of position a few times, crucially in the build-up to their opponents' second goal.
Antonio Rudiger - 5.5/10
A mixed performance from the German defender. Showed up in some great attacking positions in the first half and passed the ball well. He played out 87 passes, with 94% accuracy, which was the highest amongst his team. He was caught in no man's land for Real Madrid's third goal. He also picked up a booking.
Reece James - 5.5/10
The young defender made a sharp start after being out of action for a considerable amount of time recently. However, his performance plateaued as the game progressed and his contributions became less impactful.
N'Golo Kante - 5.5/10
The Frenchman made a great start to the game but started to fall off the pace as the game progressed. He was subbed off at half-time for Hakim Ziyech, probably to add an attacking edge to the Blues' game.
Jorginho - 6/10
Made a slow and composed start to the game trying to gain control in midfield. Provided a brilliant assist for Kai Havertz's goal in the first half. The Italian continued to make good passes consistently and had a decent overall game. He was, however, subbed off in the 64th minute.
Cesar Azpilicueta - 6/10
The Spaniard did well to mark a young and pacey Federico Valverde. He was strong in the air and was vocal with his approach to the game. However, he struggled a bit and it was evident that age was catching up.
Mason Mount - 6.5/10
The young Englishman pressed well throughout the game and combined well with his teammates. However, he was outclassed by Real Madrid's veteran midfield trio. Overall an encouraging performance.
Christian Pulisic - 4.5/10
Made a darting run into the box for a half-chance in the very first minute of the game. However, the American slowly started to fall off and his contribution reduced drastically.
Kai Havertz - 7/10
The German missed an early opportunity to open the scoring in the first half. However, he made up for it with a sublime header close to the halfway mark. Havertz was Chelsea's only real threat throughout the game. He had six shots on goal, created two chances and won six duels in the game.
Six goals and one assist in his last seven games for Chelsea.
Kai Havertz with a lifeline 💥
(Via @CBSSportsGolazo)
https://t.co/ucFx8Iea7D
Chelsea substitutes
Mateo Kovacic - 5.5/10
The Croatian came on at half-time to help Chelsea retain the ball and distribute it better. He did a good job but Real Madrid's third goal effectively killed the tie before he could impose himself.
Hakim Ziyech - 5.5/10
Ziyech was brought on at half-time as well, probably to add a different dimension to Chelsea's attack. He ran at defenders and dribbled well, but his efforts were not enough to turn the game around.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek - 5/10
The Englishman came in halfway through the second half to help anchor Chelsea's midfield and put in a decent shift.
Romelu Lukaku - 4.5/10
The Belgian was brought on to help Chelsea find a way back into the game. However, he looked off the pace and lacked the sharpness to make a real impact. He was guilty of missing two easy chances in the game.
Real Madrid Player Ratings
Thibaut Courtois - 7.5/10
Tough night for the former Chelsea custodian as he was booed by the Stamford Bridge faithful from minute one. Held his nerves and made four composed saves to keep Chelsea at bay.
Dani Carvajal - 6/10
Routine performance on the right side of the defense from the Spaniard. He was caught off-guard a few times but did not result in anything serious for Chelsea.
Eder Militao - 5/10
The Brazilian had a clumsy first half, resulting in a booking and an injury that he seemed to carry until he was taken off in the 64th minute. His yellow card means Militao will miss the return leg at the Santiago Bernabeu.
David Alaba - 7/10
An assured and commanding performance by the Austrian defender. Alaba was at the heart of disrupting every opposition attack and keeping Chelsea at bay.
Ferland Mendy - 6.5/10
The Frenchman had a composed outing and put in a good performance at left-back. His presence nullified Chelsea's attacking chances from the left.
Luka Modric - 7/10
The Croatian genius put on a midfield masterclass, helping his side string together passes and start moves from the heart of midfield. Provided a lovely assist for his team, creating Benzema's second goal of the night.
Casemiro - 7/10
Solid and accurate tackling by the Brazilian defensive midfielder. He enforced the midfield and helped Real Madrid regain control after a slow start.
Toni Kroos - 7.5/10
The German covered a lot of great areas on the pitch. His movement and short passes helped Real expand Chelsea and penetrate through their defensive lines.
Federico Valverde - 7/10
Valverde put in a great amount of effort throughout the game. However, his best attributes got masked since he was played out of his favorite central midfield role.
Vinicius Jr. - 8.5/10
The Brazilian winger was menacing on the left flank right from the first kick. He caused Chelsea's backline all sorts of problems and combined superbly with Benzema with an assist for his side's first goal.
Karim Benzema - 10/10
The Frenchman's second hat-trick in as many UCL knockout games warrants a perfect score for him. Sharp, clinical, hungry and ruthless - all the qualities of a top-class center forward. His determination and hunger were crucial to Real's chances.
Cristiano Ronaldo 2017 
Karim Benzema 2022
Only two players have scored back to back Champions League knockout hat-tricks:
🇵🇹 Cristiano Ronaldo 2017
⚽️⚽️⚽️ vs Bayern Munich
⚽️⚽️⚽️ vs Atletico Madrid
🇫🇷 Karim Benzema 2022
⚽️⚽️⚽️ vs PSG
⚽️⚽️⚽️ vs Chelsea
Icons of the game. 🙌🙌🙌 https://t.co/ptp23jgT99
Real Madrid substitutes
Nacho - 5.5/10
He came on for the injured Eder Militao and helped Los Blancos shut up shop to secure a 3-1 win.
Eduardo Camavinga - 5.5/10
A great opportunity for the young Frenchman to experience the intensity of a high-profile game against a team like Chelsea. Camavinga did well while on the pitch, helping anchor the midfield.
Gareth Bale & Dani Ceballos
Appeared as late-game substitutes and did not play long enough to warrant a rating for the game.