Rodrygo's regime devours Chelsea and sends Real Madrid into Champions League semi-finals
Ancelotti said after the match at Stamford Bridge that "Rodrygo played an excellent game". Carletto's Italian verb is a perfect definition of what the Brazilian did on another night of white glory. He put Chelsea away with two goals, as the bullfighters in Spain would say, and set his team up for another Englishman, and that would make three, to face the Madrid machine on their way to a 15th in Istanbul.
Juan Carlos I was the other protagonist of the night in London. The emeritus king accompanied his team in the luxurious English quarter to give them the luck they do not need because Ancelotti has everything tied up and tied up well for the end of the season to be a military stroll of physical form that should be accompanied by results.
Lampard left Joao Felix on the bench and Cucurella started. It was his best script for a comeback against Real Madrid, who arrived with Vinicius and Kroos rested to take command of the game. Up top, Benzema and Rodrygo to script White's adventures as they approached the opposition box and the defenders went wild looking for shirts that kept moving and creating space.
Ancelotti speaks better of his team when they defend well than when they attack. He highlighted Blancos' ability to defend during the first half and made light of the fact that the omnipresent Militao picked up a yellow card that means he will miss the first leg of the semi-final.
"It was an action save, not a reaction save," was how Courtois described his save just before half-time. The same action that in the first leg prevented Sterling's 1-1 draw was repeated in London with a move that made him stand out against Cucurella, who only managed to crash the ball against the Belgian's body.
In the second half, Cucurella again over-pressured Real Madrid's midfield with a pass on the run to Rodrygo, who only had to avoid Chalobah's run to get to the byline and give the final pass to Benzema. But the Frenchman failed to arrive and Vinicius had to calmly set up his compatriot, who recalled his time with Santos' futsal side with a foot in the six-yard box before converting to make it 0-1.
Joao Félix already has a return ticket to the Metropolitano and the 'blue' owners see how their millionaire investment in European football does not have the results they expect. Perhaps Luis Enrique will be the one to guide the ship next season after a historic failure where Kepa is barely saved.
Valverde's form is in white. The Uruguayan has returned to form and was named MVP for the great play of the second goal where he outpaced his opponents and gave the ball to Rodrygo to make him one of the most effective players in the Champions League with a goal every hundred minutes or so.
Ancelotti took Benzema off the pitch. The Frenchman had suffered an ankle knock and the team did not need his services. He left in annoyance, in the right proportion that the Italian coach wants his players to keep them on their toes until June.
Real Madrid have three games left in the season. The two Champions League semi-finals and the Copa del Rey final. Perhaps there will be another European final, but that would be the prize for a historic season that would extend Madrid's dictatorship.
