Lampard against Real Madrid
Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has revealed his side can overturn a 2-0 defeat by Real Madrid in next week’s Champions League quarter-final second leg, but it will take “something special”.
Braces from Karim Benzema and Marco Asensio led defending champions Real Madrid to victory in the Spanish capital on Wednesday.
Chelsea played with ten men for just over half an hour after Ben Chilwell was sent off.
Real Madrid could have decided his fitness ahead of the return leg, but Lampard said he missed too many chances and the Spanish champions may regret it.
The English coach, who temporarily returned until the end of the season after Graham Potter’s sacking, told BT Sport: “There are some good things, but the result is our reality.
“I told the players that something exceptional can happen at Stamford Bridge. We have a good team but we have to believe in ourselves.”
The nominations stand against Chelsea, who have failed to score for the fourth straight game, and Lampard has just one week left to restore confidence to the strikers.
Chelsea’s all-time top scorer said: It’s a difficult time for the players and I think we’re hopeless. They are good players and they need to realize what they can do, but they don’t have that right now.
With Joao Felix, Raheem Sterling and Mason Mount missing a number of chances, Chelsea created enough chances to suggest a repeat of that next week.
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has hinted that his side still have a lot of work to do.
The Italian coach, who won the league and FA Cup double with Chelsea in 2010, added: “It’s not easy to lead competitions like this, but I’m very happy.”
“We have to stay calm and realize we have the advantage, but anything can happen in football and we have to handle our advantage well.”
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