A reality check, Chelsea coach says
Lampard men receive thrashing by Bayern as Griezmann earns a draw for Barcelona
Frank Lampard admitted Chelsea were given a “reality check” by Bayern Munich as the Germans pushed his team to the brink of Champions League elimination with a 3-0 victory in the last 16 first leg on Tuesday.
Serge Gnabry scored twice in three minutes early in the second half and Robert Lewandowski bagged Bayern’s third goal to complete a masterful display from Hansi Flick’s side at Stamford Bridge.
Bayern are odds-on to finish off Chelsea in the second leg in Munich on March 18 after inflicting the Blues’ heaviest European home defeat.
Lampard conceded Chelsea had been outclassed from start to finish and urged his players to learn from the chastening experience.
“That’s football at this level, the levels of Bayern were fantastic. It was a harsh lesson for the players. It’s the reality of the Champions League,” Lampard said. “If you give people of that quality enough chances they will score goals.
“There is a lot to their team, players that have been there a long time. We have to respect that. But we weren’t confident on the ball, that was my biggest disappointment, from start to finish.”
In the other last 16 game, Antoine Griezmann’s secondhalf equaliser handed Barcelona a vital away goal and earned them a 1-1 draw at Napoli in their last-16 first leg meeting.
A superb curling strike from Dries Mertens put the home side in front after half an hour and saw the Belgian draw level with Marek Hamsik as Napoli’s all-time top scorer with 121 goals.
But Barca breached a welldrilled Napoli defence in the 57th minute when Griezmann fired in a Nelson Semedo cross.