April 12, (THEWILL) – Real Madrid took a significant step towards the semi-finals of the 2022/2023 UEFA Champions League with a 2-0 victory over 10-man Chelsea in the first leg of their quarter-final clash.
Karim Benzema opened the scoring for the hosts at Santiago Bernabeu with a tap-in before Marco Asensio, sealed the win with a goal in the 74th minute. A straight red card for Chelsea’s Ben Chilwell only added to their woes.
Despite a few chances for both sides in the opening 15 minutes, it was Benzema, who broke the deadlock in the 21st minute after he capitalised on a rebound from a Vinicius Junior shot. That lone goal lead was how the first half ended as the hosts went into the break in front.
Chelsea struggled to create any clear-cut chances after the interval but things went from bad to worse when Chilwell was sent off for a foul on Rodrygo. Asensio then sealed the win with a well-taken goal, capping off another strong European performance from Madrid.
Former Chelsea boss, Carlo Ancelotti, will recognise the fact that the job is not done yet but Madrid will head to Stamford Bridge with a healthy advantage for next week’s return leg, while the Blues will be hoping to turn the tie around in front of their home fans. Madrid will first travel to Cadiz on Saturday, for their next La Liga game, while Chelsea will host Brighton and Hove Albion in the EPL.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
