Audio By Carbonatix
Real Madrid ended Chelsea's hopes of Champions League success this season and their likely prospects of playing in Europe next campaign by completing a deserved quarter-final win in London.
Down 2-0 from a one-sided first leg, the Blues put on a more positive show.
But Real's defence held firm before Rodrygo struck twice in the second half to win the leg and seal the tie.
In the semis, Real will likely face Manchester City, who lead Bayern Munich 3-0 in their last-eight tie.
The loss for Chelsea extends the losing streak of Frank Lampard to four matches since he returned as Blues interim boss earlier this month.
Things could have been different had N'Golo Kante scored with a shot from an unmarked position early on or Marc Cucurella been able to find a way past Courtois at the back post late in the first half.
Kante was again denied after the break but, having committed men forward, they were decisively caught on the counter by Real as Vinicius Junior tore away to set up Rodrygo's close-range finish.
The Brazilian then made absolutely sure of Real's win by tapping in after fine work from Federico Valverde to set him up in the box.
Sat 11th in the Premier League, 10 points behind Brighton in seventh, Chelsea now need a near faultless run of form in the remainder of the season to qualify for European competition.
Latest Stories
-
Alavanyo Paramount Queen backs Asantehene in opposition to inclusion of Queenmothers in Houses of Chiefs
6 seconds -
OSP’s preventive actions saved Ghana millions – Sammy Darko
41 minutes -
Galamsey cuts off cocoa farms in Mfantseman, farmers suffer heavy losses
1 hour -
Ghanaian delegation set for January 20, 2026 trip to Latvia in Nana Agyei case – Ablakwa
3 hours -
Accra turns white as Dîner en Blanc delivers night of elegance and culture
5 hours -
War-torn Myanmar voting in widely criticised ‘sham’ election
6 hours -
Justice by guesswork is dangerous – Constitution Review Chair calls for data-driven court reforms
7 hours -
Justice delayed is justice denied, the system is failing litigants – Constitution Review Chair
7 hours -
Reform without data is a gamble – Constitution Review Chair warns against rushing Supreme Court changes
7 hours -
Rich and voiceless: How Putin has kept Russia’s billionaires on side in the war against Ukraine
8 hours -
Cruise ship hits reef on first trip since leaving passenger on island
8 hours -
UK restricts DR Congo visas over migrant return policy
8 hours -
Attack on Kyiv shows ‘Russia doesn’t want peace’, Zelensky says
8 hours -
Two dead in 50-vehicle pile up on Japan highway
9 hours -
Fearing deportation, Hondurans in the US send more cash home than ever before
9 hours
