Frank Lampard’s tactical flaws exposed as Real Madrid outclass listless Chelsea
Not many people expected Chelsea to beat Real Madrid when the two teams were paired in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League following last month’s draw. However, fans of the west London club would've expected their team to at least put up a fight and give Carlo Ancelotti’s side a run for their money.
Such thoughts proved to be far-fetched as Chelsea suffered a disappointing 2-0 first-leg defeat against Los Blancos on Wednesday, April 12, thanks to goals from Karim Benzema and Marco Asensio.
The demeanor of Chelsea players wasn’t right throughout the game and they showed very little character, unlike Real Madrid, who played with confidence and gusto right from the blast of the referee’s whistle.
Blues outclassed in Madrid
Chelsea had the game's first shot on target when N’Golo Kante put Joao Felix through on goal, but the Portuguese forward’s feeble attempt was parried away by Thibaut Courtois.
Raheem Sterling also came close to scoring in the initial exchanges with a header from close-range. But the Blues tailed off after a bright start, with the rest of the game belonging to Real Madrid.
Chelsea’s poor form going into the game meant they were the clear underdogs against the defending champions, but it was damning that Madrid didn't need to get out of first gear to win the game.
The 2-0 scoreline flatters the Blues, who put in a listless performance in the biggest game of their season. Had Real Madrid been a bit more clinical with their finishing, this could easily have been a rout at the Bernabeu.
Lampard’s tactical flaws exposed by Real Madrid
Many of the decisions made by Todd Boehly since the takeover last year have been questionable, including the decision to replace Graham Potter with Frank Lampard.
Lampard did very little to dispel doubts over his competence with his tactical disaster class against Real Madrid. While Ancelotti had his team figured out and playing in a specific system, Chelsea were a complete mess and played like they had no plan.
Even worse, Lampard’s substitutions after Ben Chilwell’s sending-off didn’t impact the game in any way, as Los Blancos continued to have a field day, especially in the middle of the park.
"The disappointing thing is you give away a set piece and switch off for the second goal with ten men. I don't think with 10 men they carved us open. That was due to the spirit,"aLampard said after the game.
"And I think at that part of the game we had our chances, three pretty good chances. Joao [Felix] early, Raheem [Sterling], Mason [Mount] near the end. So there's some good things, but the result is a reality."
"I just said to the players, special things can happen at Stamford Bridge. They're a good team, but we have to believe."
Lampard’s tactical flaws were badly exposed and Chelsea had no answers for Real Madrid. It’s now a tall order for the team to overturn the result in the second leg on Tuesday, April 18.