Real Madrid 3 Chelsea 3 (5-4 AGG)
Real Madrid 3 Chelsea 3 (5-4 AGG): Tuchel’s Blues are heartbroken after Benzema scores in extra time to secure a place in the semi-finals.
SET aside the Munich miracle and the ten-man comeback against Barcelona in 2012.
Because this was Chelsea’s best European performance, a night of sheer brutal brilliance from Thomas Tuchel’s heroes.
The great Karim Benzema, whose extra-time shot eventually ended this epic encounter, had to pry the trophy they won last year from their grasp.
Despite giving the 13-time European champions the scare of their life, Chelsea were able to depart the Bernabeu with their heads held high.
After being given an almost impossible task following last week’s home leg, they ascended to the top of football’s Mount Everest with a performance that even their own manager thought was beyond them.
After that 3-1 loss, Tuchel had written off his team’s chances. He, on the other hand, clearly overestimated the character and tenacity of a bunch of players who refused to let go of the European Cup.
And if we thought the Manchester City vs. Liverpool match on Sunday was the best this game could go, we were all proved wrong last night.
Chelsea not only came back from a two-goal deficit, but they also led on aggregate with 10 minutes to go, putting them in the semi-finals.
Their Herculean efforts, however, were ultimately in vain, as the LaLiga leaders snatched victory from the jaws of a devastating defeat.
Tuchel had complained before the game that his team was physically disadvantaged as a result of playing more games than any other team in Europe and not having the luxury of five substitutes per game.
He didn’t make his first substitution until the 83rd minute of this epic battle, when his players had finally run out of steam.
When the whistle eventually blew after 120 minutes of chaos, he still hadn’t utilized his full complement of five.
Real were significantly less comfortable with the idea of an opponent coming to the Bernabeu and not simply rolling over after their victory at the Bridge last week.
Timo Werner and Kai Havertz may not have been the most prolific strikers in the world, but their pace and movement had their opponents all over the place.
And their perseverance was rewarded in the 15th minute, when Chelsea scored the crucial early goal to keep the tie alive.
Mateo Kovacic and Ruben Loftus-Cheek traded fast passes, and when the ball deflected off Werner, Mason Mount raced through the middle and slammed one into the top corner.
It was England’s first Champions League goal since a 2-0 win over these same opponents in the semi-final at Stamford Bridge last year.
And it startled the Bernabeu into stillness, with the only sound coming from the visiting Chelsea fans high in the heavens.
We suddenly had a true game on our hands, with nervous Madridistas beginning to doubt their team’s chances for the first time.
Chelsea were gaining confidence, controlling possession, and beginning to believe that it was not, after all, a mission impossible.
After all, Barcelona had just beaten Chelsea 4-0 here three weeks before, so a win by two wasn’t out of the question for a team of Chelsea’s reputation.
And, while Tuchel’s team knew exactly how to keep playing, Real found themselves trapped between two stools, unsure whether to preserve their lead or surge forward to terminate the draw.
But those worries were dispelled in the 51st minute, as Chelsea struck again to send the 13-time European Champions reeling.
Luka Modric insisted he did not deflect Reece James’ corner kick, but Polish referee Szymon Marciniak insisted the ball had brushed his studs.
When Mount delivered a deep cross into the danger zone, Antonio Rudiger just pushed everyone out of the way to head the ball beyond Thibaut Courtois.
When Marcos Alonso smashed another incredible rocket into the top corner after 62 minutes, Doubting Thomas felt he was dreaming.
Marciniak was certain it was a goal, and he pointed to the center circle.
However, eagle-eyed David Alaba noticed that the ball had flicked Alonso’s hand before he scored, and the goal was ruled out after a lengthy VAR review.
But it didn’t matter because Werner twisted his way past Casemiro and Alaba 13 minutes later to beat Courtois once more. And no one was going to say no to Chelsea this time.
All they had to do now was make it through the remaining 15 minutes to get to the semi-finals.
But the proud Spanish giants were not going down without a fight, and ten minutes later, substitute Rodrygo volleyed home Modric’s brilliant ball with the outside of his boot.
It was a crushing blow to the Blues, who now faced a further 30 minutes of extra time to test their mental and physical capabilities.
And it was Benzema, who scored a hat-trick for Chelsea last week, who ultimately put the game away in the 95th minute when he took advantage of Rudiger’s slip to head home Vinicius’ cross.
It was a fantastic finish to a fantastic match. And nothing, no matter what happens in the remaining games of this tournament, will change that.