Chelsea produced one of the most composed performances of the season to hold 13-time champions Real Madrid to a 1-1 draw in their Champions League semi-final first leg match played at the Alfredo di Stefano stadium in Madrid,Spain.
Unlike last time out when Real Madrid met Liverpool at the same venue, Thomas Tuchel’s Blues were all over the Los Blancos and the hosts were on the backfoot most of the time. Christian Pulisic and Frenchman Ngolo Kante were the destroyers in chief as the Premier League side threatened to run riot.
Timo Werner wasted a clear opportunity in the opening stages but the German who has had a bad start to his Stamford Bridge life shot straight at Thibaut Courtois from only six yards. American Pulisic however ensured that the Blues went ahead in the 14th minute of the game when he kept his cool to steer the ball off the on coming Courtois to put the blues ahead on the rainy night.
Real Madrid did not respond quickly with a swift counter attack almost gifted an equalizer. Karim Benzema glanced the outside of an upright from long range with Edouard Mendy clearly beaten. The equalizer would then come in the 29th minute of the game when Benzema’s acrobatic volley whizzed past a hapless Mendy.
Chelsea had the better of the second half but could not carve out the chance to score a potentially vital second. Manager Tuchel will still be very satisfied with both the performance and result.