Real Madrid kept their UEFA Champions League title defence alive with a 2-0 win over Chelsea on Tuesday that secured a 4-0 aggregate success in the quarter-finals.
Rodrygo’s second-half double helped Los Blancos see off any chance of a Blues comeback at Stamford Bridge to book their semi-final spot.
Frank Lampard’s hosts offered an energetic improvement on their performance in the reverse fixture at the Santiago Bernabeu last week.
But their inability to convert chances ultimately left the door open for Carlo Ancelotti’s side to make it a comfortable passage to the last four in the end.
Chelsea started with dogged intent, going close when N’Golo Kante sliced a volley wide 11 minutes in.
Madrid did not rest on their own laurels, however, with Rodrygo striking the post almost midway through the first half after he was played smartly into the box.
Luka Modric tested Kepa Arrizabalaga with a powerful shot just past the half-hour mark, while Thibaut Courtois denied Marc Cucurella from six yards after the Blues man found himself in space.
But their best chance arguably fell to Kante just after the restart, his strike off Conor Gallagher’s header was blocked at close-range.
That miss allowed Madrid to make the breakthrough instead, with Rodrygo smashing home Vinicius Junior’s square return ball in the 58th minute.
His effort took the sting out of the contest, and when the Brazilian added a second in the 80th minute from Federico Valverde’s cut-back, it allowed the visitors an easy ride to the finish line.
Chelsea player ratings (3-4-2-1)
GK: Kepa Arrizabalaga – 6/10 – Some smart saves to stop Real from adding to their lead in the first half.
CB: Trevoh Chalobah – 6/10 – Caught out of position a few times but deserves credit for limiting the threat down his side. Began to struggle as Real stepped up.
CB: Thiago Silva – 6/10 – Did very well to keep Benzema quiet but the speed of Rodrygo took its toll in the second half.
CB: Wesley Fofana – 7/10 – A sensational job on Vinicius. Didn’t win every battle but got the vast majority of them right.
RM: Reece James – 6/10 – Played more as a central midfielder than a wing-back, but got forward down the right plenty in the first half. Saw his influence fade as the game ticked on.
CM: Enzo Fernandez – 6/10 – Solid but unspectacular. Helped recycle possession without offering a cutting edge going forwards.
CM: Mateo Kovacic – 6/10 – A little frustrating in the final third, including a sensational air volley, but flexed his pressing and passing quality to keep Chelsea on the front foot.
LM: Marc Cucurella – 5/10 – Got forward into a lot of nice positions but didn’t do enough in the final third. Miles out of position for the opening goal.
AM: N’Golo Kante – 6/10 – Did his usual midfield job with real quality but the issue of him playing further forward meant his attacking struggles were a problem. Should’ve scored early on.
AM: Conor Gallagher – 6/10 – Another whose energy was key, Gallagher’s attacking work also left a little to be desired.
ST: Kai Havertz – 6/10 – Played some nice link-up passes with those around him but, as Chelsea’s only actual attacker in the starting lineup, he needed to do more.
Substitutes
Joao Felix (67′ for Gallagher) – 5/10
Raheem Sterling (67′ for Fernandez) – 5/10
Mykhailo Mudryk (67′ for Cucurella) – 5/10
Mason Mount (76′ for Havertz) – 5/10
Manager
Frank Lampard – 6/10 – Can’t fault the setup as Chelsea enjoyed a sensational first half which should have yielded a goal or two. Just couldn’t get the pieces to fall in the right place.
Real Madrid player ratings (4-3-3)
GK: Thibaut Courtois – 7/10 – A huge save to deny Cucurella and keep the score level at half-time.
RB: Dani Carvajal – 6/10 – Did a nice job of making things awkward for Cucurella.
CB: Eder Militao – 7/10 – Needed to be at his best to keep Chelsea at bay. A series of brilliant blocks early in the second half. Booked and suspended for the first leg of the semi-final.
CB: David Alaba – 6/10 – Had a solid first half before being surprisingly withdrawn at the break.
LB: Eduardo Camavinga – 7/10 – Solid defensively and really impressive when given the chance to get forwards.
DM: Toni Kroos – 5/10 – Didn’t offer much cover for his defence and wasn’t given the time to get control of the game.
CM: Federico Valverde – 7/10 – Typical energy in midfield to keep Real moving forwards when they needed him.
CM: Luka Modric – 6/10 – Misplaced two passes in the first 15 minutes but eventually regained his composure.
RW: Rodrygo – 8/10 – Wasn’t allowed to get involved in the game before his goal but went on to make the telling impact.
ST: Karim Benzema – 5/10 – Received very little service and couldn’t force his way into the game.
LW: Vinicius Junior – 5/10 – A surprisingly quiet performance from the Brazilian, who get no change from Fofana.
Substitutes
Antonio Rudiger (46′ for Alaba) – 6/10
Aurelien Tchouameni (71′ for Benzema) – 6/10
Dani Ceballos (76′ for Kroos) – 6/10
Nacho Fernandez (81′ for Carvajal) – N/A
Marco Asensio (81′ for Rodrygo) – N/A
Manager
Carlo Ancelotti – 6/10 – Watched his side hang on in the first half before exploding into life late on. Took advantage of Chelsea’s tired legs like the wily old veteran he is.
