Real Madrid Sails into Champions League SF, Chelsea Adrift

Real Madrid's Brazilian striker Rodrygo scores the team's second goal Chelsea's Spanish goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga during the Champions League quarterfinal second leg football match between Chelsea and Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge in London on April 18, 2023. (AFP)
Real Madrid's Brazilian striker Rodrygo scores the team's second goal Chelsea's Spanish goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga during the Champions League quarterfinal second leg football match between Chelsea and Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge in London on April 18, 2023. (AFP)
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Real Madrid Sails into Champions League SF, Chelsea Adrift

Real Madrid's Brazilian striker Rodrygo scores the team's second goal Chelsea's Spanish goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga during the Champions League quarterfinal second leg football match between Chelsea and Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge in London on April 18, 2023. (AFP)
Real Madrid's Brazilian striker Rodrygo scores the team's second goal Chelsea's Spanish goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga during the Champions League quarterfinal second leg football match between Chelsea and Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge in London on April 18, 2023. (AFP)

Real Madrid’s pursuit of a 15th European Cup marches on.

Chelsea, meanwhile, does not know when it will compete on this elite stage again.

Madrid’s 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday completed a 4-0 aggregate victory and saw the Spanish giants advance to the Champions League semifinals for the 11th time in 13 seasons.

Rodrygo scored twice in the second half to kill off a spirited Chelsea fightback that lasted the best part of an hour, but ultimately ended in a fourth straight loss under interim manager Frank Lampard.

Madrid can dream of more glory in a competition it has won a record 14 times, with either Manchester City or Bayern Munich to come in the next round.

“We try but we have another 180 minutes,” Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said. “We are ready to be there and we are ready to fight for the final.”

It is a different story for Chelsea as the London club’s miserable campaign is now destined to end trophyless.

Defeat left Lampard fielding questions about where the 2021 European champions go after its troubled start under new owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital and the prospect of no European soccer next season.

“People will make a lot about this season for Chelsea because we’ve had so much success,” Lampard said. “The reality is this club is going to be back, but it will take work.”

Chelsea sits 11th in the Premier League and 17 points off the top four despite spending around $630 million on new signings.

Lampard’s arrival after Graham Potter was fired this month has not prompted an upturn in form, with his team scoring just once in its four losses since his appointment.

That lack of cutting edge was evident again in the quarterfinals second leg as Chelsea missed a host of chances.

N’Golo Kante failed to convert clear openings in each half with the score still goalless. And former Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois beat away a close-range effort from Marc Cucurella just before the break.

The home team was made to pay for those misses as Madrid struck twice on the break.

Ancelotti admitted his team “suffered a lot” before Rodrygo’s goals.

The Brazil forward opened the scoring in the 58th minute when turning in Vinicius Junior’s cutback. He added a second in the 80th, this time after Federico Valverde’s assist.

He might have completed a hat trick if not for a first-half effort hitting the outside of the post.

The home fans headed for the exit in numbers once Rodrygo’s second goal crossed the line.

But they applauded at the end after being given some cause for encouragement as Chelsea pushed Madrid for a large part of the match.

“I think the fans appreciated the performance today," Lampard said. “Maybe they’ve had moments this season when they are not feeling like that so we have to latch onto that.”

Trailing 2-0 after last week’s first leg at the Bernabeu, even the most optimistic Chelsea fan must have feared the worst in the second leg.

Many have lost patience after seeing the season unravel, but frustrations were put to one side as they tried to inspire a famous comeback and hope Madrid would crack.

Had golden chances at either end of the first half been taken, then hopes of an unlikely win would have grown. Kante, however, fired wide after a shot by Kai Havertz was blocked and rebounded invitingly for the midfielder.

Cucurella came closer just before the break after connecting with Reece James’ cross at the far post.

On this occasion Courtois, who was booed throughout by Chelsea fans, was down quickly to save.

The visitors had their chances in between those two key moments.

Rodrygo hit the post and Vinicius missed the target from about 6 meters out. Vinicius and Luka Modric also forced saves from Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Kante was presented with another opening early in the second half, but his shot from close range was blocked by Eder Militao.

It was over shortly after that when Rodrygo burst away down the right. His cross should have been converted by Karim Benzema, but when the ball was worked back across goal by Vinicius, Rodrygo was on hand to score.

Vinicius played a big role in the second goal when breaking on the left and playing in Valverde, who might have shot himself. Instead, he pulled the ball back for Rodrygo to have the simplest of tap-ins.



Cancelo Ruled Out of Al-Hilal’s Asian Champions League Semi with Al-Ahli 

Football - Saudi Pro League – Al-Hilal v Al-Shabab - Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - April 21, 2025 Al-Hilal coach Jorge Jesus is seen during the match. (Reuters) 
Football - Saudi Pro League – Al-Hilal v Al-Shabab - Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - April 21, 2025 Al-Hilal coach Jorge Jesus is seen during the match. (Reuters) 
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Cancelo Ruled Out of Al-Hilal’s Asian Champions League Semi with Al-Ahli 

Football - Saudi Pro League – Al-Hilal v Al-Shabab - Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - April 21, 2025 Al-Hilal coach Jorge Jesus is seen during the match. (Reuters) 
Football - Saudi Pro League – Al-Hilal v Al-Shabab - Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - April 21, 2025 Al-Hilal coach Jorge Jesus is seen during the match. (Reuters) 

Al-Hilal coach Jorge Jesus has ruled Joao Cancelo out of the remainder of his side's Asian Champions League Elite campaign with a hamstring injury ahead of their all-Saudi Pro League semi-final against Al-Ahli in Jeddah on Tuesday.

The former Manchester City and Barcelona defender limped off 42 minutes into Al-Hilal's 7-0 thrashing of South Korea's Gwangju on Friday and Jesus confirmed the 30-year-old would play no further part in the continental championship.

"The only negative part of an excellent night was the injury to Joao Cancelo," said Jesus. "He's one of the players who is very important for the team for his attacking ability.

"We will not have him. He will be out for four to six weeks, that means his season is practically over, but he will be well prepared for our participation in the Club World Cup."

Al-Hilal remain on track for a record-extending fifth Asian title but face a difficult challenge against an Al-Ahli side that is the only undefeated team left in the competition.

The clubs have already met three times this season in domestic competition, with Al-Ahli winning the most recent encounter in the Saudi Pro League thanks to a hat-trick by England striker Ivan Toney.

That win was coach Matthias Jaissle's first against Al-Hilal in five attempts and the German is confident his side can repeat the feat.

"It helps definitely to know, to feel that we are capable to win against Al-Hilal," said Jaissle.

"We've played against Al-Hilal so often and they have huge quality in their squad, but we're well prepared. We know exactly what will come tomorrow, there will be no surprises on the pitch. Details will be decisive."

The semi-final will be played at Al-Ahli's home at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium and Jaissle is hoping the support of the local fans will be a factor in deciding the outcome.

"The results in the matches since the competition started show clearly that this competition fits us," he said. "But we didn't achieve anything so far.

"Everything has to fit together, all the details in all phases of the game. Then you need sometimes a bit of luck and the extra energy of the fans."