Real Madrid whip wasteful Chelsea to reach Champions League semifinals

Real Madrid's Rodrygo, left, is fouled by Chelsea's goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga after scoring his side's second goal at the Champions League quarterfinal second leg against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge stadium in London Tuesday. (AP)
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Updated 19 April 2023
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Real Madrid whip wasteful Chelsea to reach Champions League semifinals

  • The Spanish giants made Chelsea pay for their profligacy when Rodrygo scored in the 58th minute and he doubled his tally with 10 minutes to go
  • Real Madrid will likely play Manchester City in the semifinals

LONDON: Real Madrid cruised into the Champions League semifinals with a 2-0 win against Chelsea on Tuesday that wrapped up an emphatic 4-0 aggregate triumph, effectively ending the struggling London club’s season.

The home team, with Frank Lampard back in the dugout for a second spell, came into the match at Stamford Bridge with form and history against them.

They started brightly, playing enterprising football, but rued two huge missed chances in the first half that would have heaped pressure on the defending champions.

The Spanish giants made Chelsea pay for their profligacy when Rodrygo scored in the 58th minute and he doubled his tally with 10 minutes to go.

Chelsea, the 2021 European champions, have now lost all four of their matches since Lampard returned to the club as caretaker boss earlier this month in place of the sacked Graham Potter.

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti stuck with the same team that won the first leg 2-0 last week while Chelsea caretaker boss Lampard restored Reece James, Mateo Kovacic and N’Golo Kante to his line-up.

Roared on by an expectant crowd despite their current woes, the home side made a bright start against the 14-time winners.

They had a glorious chance to take the lead but Kante skewed his left-foot shot wide from about 12 yards.

The visitors, content to bide their time, looked sharp on the break.

Midway through the opening period Rodrygo created space for himself and thumped an effort against the outside of the post from an acute angle, though goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga may have had it covered.

Luka Modric tested Kepa with a shot from an angle and five minutes before half-time Vinicius Junior skewed a shot wide from close range after a cross from the Croatia midfielder.

But Chelsea should have been ahead on the stroke of half-time when Reece James fizzed a ball across the box from the right and it fell to Marc Cucurella at the back post.

The defender took a touch and shot but Thibaut Courtois came flying out of his goal to save.

Kante had another golden opportunity to take the lead early in the second half but his close-range effort hit Eder Militao and deflected away to safety.

Real took the wind out of Chelsea’s sails with just over half an hour to go, when Rodrygo scored from close range after an assist by Vinicius.

Lampard made a number of attacking substitutions, bringing on Raheem Sterling, Joao Felix and Mykhailo Mudryk in a desperate bid to get back into the match.

But Rodrygo found the net again in the 80th minute, tapping home after a clever assist from Federico Valverde.

Real Madrid will likely play Manchester City in the semifinals, with Pep Guardiola’s team 3-0 up against Bayern Munich after the first leg of their last-eight tie.

But Chelsea are contemplating the final weeks of a disastrous campaign despite a staggering spend of more than £500 million ($621 million) in the first year of the club’s new ownership.

Already out of both domestic cups, they are languishing in 11th place in the Premier League and look unlikely to qualify for European football next season.


Arsenal hoist first Women’s Champions Cup in thrilling win over Corinthians

Updated 02 February 2026
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Arsenal hoist first Women’s Champions Cup in thrilling win over Corinthians

  • Foord beat goalkeeper Lele at her near post ‌in the ‌104th minute to earn a ‌dramatic ⁠winner ​over the ‌Copa Libertadores champions in front of a crowd that included FIFA president Gianni Infantino
  • As the winners of FIFA’s new intercontinental tournament featuring champions from all six confederations, ​Arsenal will collect a $2.3 million prize

LONDON: Arsenal’s Caitlin Foord struck in extra time to power them to victory in the inaugural Women’s Champions Cup on Sunday, defeating Brazil’s Corinthians 3-2 in ​a rain-soaked final at the Emirates Stadium.

Reigning Champions League winners Arsenal looked set to seal the title in normal time, leading 2-1 before Vic Albuquerque converted a 96th-minute penalty to force extra time.

Olivia Smith and Lotte Wubben-Moy also scored for Renee Slegers’ team before Foord beat goalkeeper Lele at her near post ‌in the ‌104th minute to earn a ‌dramatic ⁠winner ​over the ‌Copa Libertadores champions in front of a crowd that included FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

“It’s not often that at Arsenal you can write history because history has been written so many times,” Wubben-Moy told Sky Sports.

“We stand on the shoulders of giants. To come to this inaugural competition ⁠and win it and do it with all of our fans ‌here in style — — our fans are ‍wonderful and that’s who we ‍do it for.

“To win the first silverware this ‍year is a big leap forward. We want more. Stick with us, 2026 has more to come.”

As the winners of FIFA’s new intercontinental tournament featuring champions from all six confederations, ​Arsenal will collect a $2.3 million prize.

The one negative on the night was Arsenal’s goalkeeper Anneke Borbe ⁠being carried off on a stretcher following a collision with teammate Wubben-Moy late in extra time.

The timing of the tournament favored Arsenal, who are in the midst of their Women’s Super League season, while Corinthians are in their pre-season and CONCACAF Champions Cup winners Gotham FC are in their off-season.

Arsenal had thrashed Moroccan champions AS FAR 6-0 in Wednesday’s semifinals, while Corinthians had edged Gotham, of the National Women’s Soccer League, 1-0 in the ‌other semis.

Gotham secured third place with a 4-0 win against AS FAR earlier on Sunday.