A heartbreaking night for Chelsea, who overturned a two goal deficit to go 4-3 up on aggregate, before a late super strike from Rodrygo, and an extra-time header from Benzema sent the Champions League holders crashing out. There were a lot of strong performances from Chelsea’s side, however, as they put on an impressive performance away at one of Europe’s biggest stadiums, against one of Europe’s biggest sides.
Edouard Mendy- 5/10
The Senegalese shot stopper has struggled to recapture the form that saw him win The Best FIFA Goalkeeper last year. His mistake in the first leg gave Chelsea a mountain to climb in the second leg. With some shaky distribution, Mendy never looked in control tonight, and perhaps he could have done better for Benzema’s extra-time winner.
Marcos Alonso- 7/10
A strong effort from the man who has had a mixed bag of performances this season. Unlucky to have a goal ruled out with a cruel handball decision. He was caught out of position by a fantastic ball from Modrić which led to Rodrygo’s goal.
Thiago Silva- 7/10
The Brazilian always looks composed on the ball, and tonight was no different. Playing deepest on the pitch for Chelsea, Silva worked as an anchor for the side. Perhaps could have done better for Madrid’s first goal.
Antonio Rudiger- 8/10
An inspiring performance by the German centre back. He hardly put a foot wrong in the opening 90 minutes and scored what looked to be a crucial goal for Chelsea. Unfortunately slipped at the crucial moment in extra time, allowing Benzema a free header to send the holders out.
Reece James- 8/10
A shaky start for Reece James, picking up an early yellow card. James quickly put that out of his mind, however, and kept the threat of Vinicius to a minimum throughout the game. He made eight tackles throughout the game, the most of any player on the pitch.
N’Golo Kante- 4/10
A poor performance from the man who dominated Real Madrid in both legs of the Champions League semi-final less than a year ago. Didn’t quite have his usual impact defensively, and was wasteful going forward. Most costly for Kante, however, was giving the ball away in the lead up to Rodrygo’s late aggregate leveller.
Mateo Kovačić- 6/10
Chelsea’s midfielder controlled possession for large parts of the game, completing 98 passes. One crucial pass was the assist for Werner which looked to have sent Chelsea into the semi-final. His performance dropped off slightly in the second half, leaving Modrić too much space to pick out Rodrygo for Madrid’s first goal.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek- 6/10
Perhaps the most surprising choice in the starting lineup for Chelsea today, Loftus-Cheek didn’t look out of place in a Chelsea side that were dominant for large parts of the game. As has been the case with Ruben in the past, however, his end product was largely lacking.
Timo Werner- 8/10
It wasn’t clear if Timo Werner would start this game after his brace at the weekend, but he took his chance brilliantly. An early assist for Mason Mount to bring Chelsea back into the tie. Werner constantly pressed throughout the game, and his composed finish to put the Blues 3-0 up on the night capped off a strong performance for the German international.
Kai Havertz- 6/10
Last year’s goalscorer in the Champions League Final, Havertz couldn’t find a way to find the back of the net tonight. Drifting wide at times, he struggled to get chances on goal. Missing an open header in the last few minutes of extra-time was a huge chance blown.
Mason Mount- 7/10
A fantastically taken opening goal, Mount looked to have started an historic Chelsea comeback. His pressing throughout the game was solid, and his cross for Rudiger’s headed goal was perfect. Tailed off slightly towards the end of the game as Chelsea pushed for a goal.
Subs:
Christian Pulisic- 4/10
A very disappointing substitute appearance for Pulisic, who missed two chances to send Chelsea through in added time of normal time. A night to forget for the American, who last year scored a vital goal at the Bernabeu.
Hakim Ziyech- 5/10
Brought on in extra time, Ziyech failed to make the impact on the game Chelsea fans would have hoped to see when he was introduced. A wasted shot at Courtois, when a cross could have seen a tap-in was the highlight of his night.
Jorginho- 5/10
Another late substitution for Tuchels side, Jorginho did not have long to make an impact on the game. He did scuff a big chance for the Blues at the end of the game, sending his shot wide.
Saúl Ñíguez- 5/10
Brought on in the second half of extra-time, Saúl made a few good tackles, but did not have long to impose himself on the game. A cross that sailed through to Courtois deep into extra-time, ended Chelsea’s hopes of qualifying for the Champions League semi-final.
Tuchel- 9/10
So close to a tactical masterclass for Chelsea’s head coach. The decision to start Werner and Loftus-Cheek seemed to be a stroke of genius when the two combined to set-up Mount in the early stages of the game. When Werner put Chelsea ahead on aggregate it seemed he had pulled off the impossible. Very unfortunate to not be able to get Chelsea over the line.
