Real Madrid vs. Chelsea: 3 positives Carlo Ancelotti must carry into second leg

2. Press and play with energy

The energy that a team shows on the field and the speed of play is down to the players on the pitch. But the manager should also be given credit to some extent as the team is more or less the reflection of the manager’s playing philosophy. Therefore some praise must be reserved for Carlo for the way Real Madrid pressed and pressurized Chelsea’s midfield.

As I alluded to it earlier, Valverde adds an extra layer to this team whenever he plays. His pace and intensity are a handful. His presence allowed the midfield to play more freely. Modric could roam around without worrying about losing the ball as he was aware Valverde would be there to mop up and recover the possession. It was conspicuous by the way he put in the cross for Benzema’s second header from the right-wing position.

Kroos and Casemiro too showed a lot more proactiveness while on the ball. Kroos especially was excellent whenever he came under pressure. There were multiple times when one of the center-back be it Nacho, Militao or Alaba ran through the entire midfield with the ball close to the opposition box.

There are days when Real Madrid’s play looks lethargic and slow. However, Wednesday was not that day. Chelsea was forced to commit unforced errors in possession due to pressure built up by Real Madrid. The most glaring mistake was the third goal where Benzema in his usual style went to press the goalkeeper. Mendy fumbled and Rudiger could not recover and handed Real Madrid the third goal at a juncture when Chelsea was looking to grab the equalizer. That was the final nail in the coffin.

Real Madrid’s biggest adversary in this match was expected to N’Golo Kanté. During last year’s Semi-Final Clash Kante ran the midfield and KCM was no match to his intensity. However, in this match, Kante was absolutely shunned from the game to the extent that Tuchel had to take him off at halftime itself.

Real Madrid goes into the second leg with a 3-1 lead. It is their tie to lose. They must maintain the intensity and not let Chelsea have a sniff at their lead. Waiting for another magical night at the Santiago Bernabeu.