Real Madrid Boss Carlo Ancelotti is 'Proud' of His Team's Stunning UCL Comeback Against Chelsea
06:49 GMT 13.04.2022 (Updated: 11:44 GMT 10.12.2022)
© REUTERS / PETER POWELL
Subscribe
Real Madrid is the most successful team in the history of the UEFA Champions League, having won the European tournament a record 13 times. In fact, the Los Blancos are the only club to have won the continent's top honour for three straight years, having done so from 2016 to 2018.
Carlo Ancelotti has hailed his Real Madrid side after Karim Benzema and company managed to stave-off Chelsea's monumental fightback to seal their spot in the Champions League semis on Tuesday night.
It turned out to be a highly dramatic, riveting, and entertaining encounter at the Santiago Bernabeu with Ancelotti's men entering the iconic venue as the firm favourites, having won the first leg of the quarterfinals 3-1 at Stamford Bridge.
However, Chelsea were on the move quickly with Mason Mount handing them an early lead in the 15th minute.
An hour later, Thomas Tuchel's boys had established their complete control over the match, having tripled Chelsea's advantage, thanks to two more goals from Antonio Rudiger and Timo Werner.
As the scoreline read 3-0 in favour of the Blues, nearly everyone thought that the game was done and dusted. But Benzema and his teammates had other ideas.
Having been pushed to the brink, Madrid mounted a spectacular comeback with the genius of Luka Modric coming to the fore in the 80th minute.
The Croatian midfielder produced a sublime assist, helping Rodrygo to deliver the crucial goal, beginning a period of Real's dominance in the game, something which was hard to come by until then.
Rodrygo's goal brought the fixture on an even keel with the score between the two teams tied at 4-4, forcing extra time to decide the winner of the contest.
And it was Benzema, like he has done so many times this term, who produced the ultimate goal in the 96th minute to send Chelsea out of the competition and book his team's place in the last 4.
With the Frenchman's sensational strike, Real literally succeeded in snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.
While they still lost the match 3-2, the La Liga table toppers kept their UCL campaign alive with a 5-4 aggregate win, having previously beaten Chelsea 3-1 in England.
The Spanish powerhouse's performance made their coach Ancelotti declare that he was extremely "proud" of his team.
"We won (the tie) because we had the energy to keep the match alive. The players were brave and faced it like warriors", he said after Real's win.
"We have to be proud of what we did, we played a very tough round of 16 against PSG, now against the defending champions Chelsea in the quarterfinals to go through the semifinals, so I can't be happier", the Italian concluded.
It turned out to be a highly dramatic, riveting, and entertaining encounter at the Santiago Bernabeu with Ancelotti's men entering the iconic venue as the firm favourites, having won the first leg of the quarterfinals 3-1 at Stamford Bridge.
However, Chelsea were on the move quickly with Mason Mount handing them an early lead in the 15th minute.
An hour later, Thomas Tuchel's boys had established their complete control over the match, having tripled Chelsea's advantage, thanks to two more goals from Antonio Rudiger and Timo Werner.
As the scoreline read 3-0 in favour of the Blues, nearly everyone thought that the game was done and dusted. But Benzema and his teammates had other ideas.
Having been pushed to the brink, Madrid mounted a spectacular comeback with the genius of Luka Modric coming to the fore in the 80th minute.
The Croatian midfielder produced a sublime assist, helping Rodrygo to deliver the crucial goal, beginning a period of Real's dominance in the game, something which was hard to come by until then.
Rodrygo's goal brought the fixture on an even keel with the score between the two teams tied at 4-4, forcing extra time to decide the winner of the contest.
And it was Benzema, like he has done so many times this term, who produced the ultimate goal in the 96th minute to send Chelsea out of the competition and book his team's place in the last 4.
With the Frenchman's sensational strike, Real literally succeeded in snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.
While they still lost the match 3-2, the La Liga table toppers kept their UCL campaign alive with a 5-4 aggregate win, having previously beaten Chelsea 3-1 in England.
The Spanish powerhouse's performance made their coach Ancelotti declare that he was extremely "proud" of his team.
"We won (the tie) because we had the energy to keep the match alive. The players were brave and faced it like warriors", he said after Real's win.
"We have to be proud of what we did, we played a very tough round of 16 against PSG, now against the defending champions Chelsea in the quarterfinals to go through the semifinals, so I can't be happier", the Italian concluded.
