Real Madrid: Five takeaways from a 1-1 draw with Chelsea

Karim Benzema gave Real Madrid a chance

Karim Benzema deserves a ton of praise for another vital performance for Real Madrid. Eder Militao was the star of the defense, while Benzema was the clear standout in an otherwise meandering Royal White attack.

The French No. 9 nearly scored a goal from nothing, clattering the post with a great effort from outside the box with his weaker left foot. And then minutes later, Benzema scored the equalizer, heading the ball to himself after Casemiro and Eder Militao pinged around Marcelo’s cross in the box. And then Benzema followed up his own header with a thunderous volley, leaving Edouard Mendy with no chance.

Throughout the match, Benzema did the most with what little service he received from his struggling teammates. He did a good job of moving out wide, beating a defender, and keeping the ball circulating. Benzema put in a lot of the dirty work for Real Madrid against Chelsea, and he created his chances for himself.

Los Blancos had major issues with creating chances against the organized Chelsea defense, and if they did not have Benzema, they would not have been in this match at all. Benz’s hard work and clinical finishing have given Real hope and now a chance to steal the draw in the second leg next week at Stamford Bridge.

Optimism for the second leg

It may not seem like there is much room for optimism from the perspective of Real Madrid, but there actually is reason for Madridistas to be hopeful. And ironically enough, it’s because Los Blancos were so underwhelming in the first leg.

Real were not 100 percent. Eden Hazard was not healthy enough to start but completed a second game off the bench without any apparent issues. Luka Modric and Toni Kroos were fatigued and coming off injuries. Casemiro and Vinicius Junior looked tired. Ferland Mendy, Fede Valverde, and Sergio Ramos were all unavailable due to injuries. Dani Carvajal still has not played a full 90 minutes since returning from injury.

So this was not Real’s best performance at all. They could have lost 3-1, even. But they didn’t. They drew Chelsea and are right in the thick of it heading into the second leg. Better yet, they managed to hang in there despite obviously not being at their best health-wise.

Mendy and Valverde wll be back. Ramos should, too. Those are three massive, potentially game-changing returns. And if they are, they could be enough to switch the momentum from a lucky 1-1 draw to a deserved, narrow victory on the road.