- Chelsea hosted Real Madrid in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday night
- The Blues headed into the match 2-0 goals down and needed a great turnover
- However, caretaker manager Frank Lampard started a strange formation that left fans wondering
Chelsea interim manager Frank Lampard stated that his team selection versus Real Madrid was based on the club’s best ‘in-form’ players.
The Blues were eliminated from the Champions League as Brazilian winger Rodrygo scored a second-half brace to give Real Madrid a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge, subjecting Lampard to a fourth consecutive defeat and a 4-0 aggregate defeat.
Chelsea’s performance was significantly improved over recent losses, although Lampard’s team selection raised questions before the game.
READ: Champions League: Real Madrid sees off Chelsea in the quarters
Trevoh Chalobah, Thiago Silva, and Wesley Fofana formed a back three, with Reece James and Marc Cucurella functioning as traditional or inverted wing-backs.
N’Golo Kante, Enzo Fernandez, Mateo Kovacic, and Conor Gallagher all made their debuts, leaving attacking potential Joao Felix, Mykhailo Mudryk, Raheem Sterling, Mason Mount, and Hakim Ziyech on the bench.
“I picked a team today that I thought was the most in-form team and the fittest team and they showed they can compete with Real Madrid, other than the final third stuff. It is important to take each step,” Lampard explained post-match about his selection thought process.
Chelsea manager Frank Lampard stated that fitness was key to his starting 11 against Real Madrid in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League quarters. | PHOTO: Sky Sports |
“People will make a lot of this season for Chelsea because we have had so much success. The reality is this club is going to be back, it will take work and process. But I think the fans appreciated the performance today, and maybe this season they have had moments where they’re not feeling like that.
“We have to latch onto that, get results at the end of the season and performances and go again next year.”
Will Chelsea qualify or Europe next season after Real Madrid loss?
Chelsea’s defeat means that qualification for any type of European football looks almost unattainable. This is something that appeared unthinkable at the start of the season given the expectations.
But, sitting 11th in the table, closer to the relegation zone than the top four, Chelsea were doomed to follow in the footsteps of Arsenal, who went a season without playing in Europe before their Mikel Arteta-led comeback.
“We have been fortunate enough to have huge success for 20 years,” Lampard said of the club’s plight. “Many clubs in the Premier League would only dream of our success as Champions League and Premier League winners.
“Maybe this is a year where we are not what we wanted to be, there are reasons for the transition. A few years ago Chelsea we didn’t make the Champions League and then won the Premier League the following year [in 2016-17]. We can’t be too short-term with it. There are places we want to improve as a club.”
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