Goals:Real Madrid – Chelsea FC – Played on 04/12/2023

In the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals, Real Madrid hosted Chelsea at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. The game saw Real Madrid secure a valuable 2-0 victory against the Blues, with goals from Karim Benzema and Marco Asensio.

Early Pressure from Chelsea

The game began with pressure from the Chelsea side, as Joao Felix launched behind the Real Madrid defense and hit a powerful ball that was brilliantly saved by Thibaut Courtois in the second minute. Real Madrid responded with a shot from Benzema that was blocked by Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa in the 12th minute.

Benzema Scores Lead Goal

Real Madrid took the lead in the 21st minute, as Vinicius Jr. kicked off and hit a ball that was saved by goalkeeper Kepa, rebounding in front of Benzema who easily put it into the net. Chelsea defender Thiago Silva denied Vinicius Jr. from adding a second goal in the 25th minute.

First Half Ends with Real Madrid in the Lead

Real Madrid had a strong start to the match, with Chelsea putting on the pressure early on. In the second minute, Joao Felix of Chelsea launched a powerful ball behind Real Madrid’s defense, but goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made a brilliant save to turn it into a corner. Real Madrid responded with a shot from Karim Benzema in the 12th minute that was blocked by Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa. However, Benzema managed to score the lead goal in the 21st minute after Vinicius Jr.’s shot was saved by Kepa and rebounded in front of Benzema, who easily put it into the net.

Despite some individual efforts from Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo, the first half was relatively quiet, with both teams struggling to create clear chances. Real Madrid maintained their lead throughout the half, with Chelsea unable to find a way past Courtois. The first half ended with Real Madrid in the lead, but with 45 minutes still to play, both teams knew there was plenty of time for the game to turn in their favor.