Chelsea set up all-English final
Blues defeat Real Madrid in Champions League semifinals to face Manchester City in Istanbul on May 29
CHELSEA set up an all-English Champions League final against Manchester City as goals from Timo Werner and Mason Mount beat Real Madrid 2-0 in a dominant display on Wednesday to seal a 3-1 aggregate victory at Stamford Bridge.
If anything, the scoreline flattered Madrid as the 13time European champions had no response to Chelsea’s greater strength and speed.
The Blues should have ran out far more convincing winners as they toyed with the tired visitors in the second half. However, Werner’s cushioned header into an empty net on 28 minutes after Kai Havertz’s initial effort came back off the crossbar and Mount’s tap-in five minutes from time were enough to seal their place in İstanbul on May 29.
Backed by Russian billionaire owner Roman Abramovich, Chelsea’s £220 million spending spree last summer has been rewarded with a first Champions League final since they lifted the trophy for the only time in 2012.
“We never lost the hunger, the desire to defend,” added Tuchel. “In the second half we
had even better structure to defend and it was a fantastic performance.”
Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane welcomed back captain Sergio Ramos for the first time in six weeks, while Eden Hazard was handed a rare start in an injury-hit season on his return to Stamford Bridge.
But the Belgian was again a peripheral figure as Madrid’s over-reliance on Karim Benzema to provide a goal threat was exposed.
“We needed to be better going forward,” said Zidane. “We didn’t have any clear chances. They made a number of them and that’s football.”
Madrid’s only serious threat came from a quick turn
and shot from the edge of the box from Benzema that Edouard Mendy did brilliantly to turn behind midway through the first half.
Moments later they were behind as Werner scored just his fourth goal in his last 39 games.
N’Golo Kante and Havertz did the hard work as the French midfielder fed Havertz, whose audacious chip over Thibaut Courtois bounced invitingly off the crossbar for Werner to head into an empty net.
Chelsea have now kept 18 clean sheets in 24 games since the appointment of Tuchel.
However, a failure to take their chances at the other end
means they are still far from guaranteed a place in the Champions League next season.
That lack of a killer touch was exposed after the break as Havertz saw a free header come back off the bar before Mount blasted over with just Courtois to beat.
The former Chelsea keeper kept his current employers in the tie as he then saved one-on-ones with Havertz and Kante, with the Blues’ speed on the break too much for Madrid’s ageing midfield to cope with.
Substitute Christian Pulisic left Courtois on the floor and from his cut-back, Mount slid in to finish from close range.