Despite being two European football classics, the history of madridistas and milanistas in recent years in the highest continental club competition is completely different.
While the Italians reach the semifinals for the first time since 2007 (the year of their last coronation), the Spaniards are among the four best teams on the continent for the eleventh time in the last 13 seasons and are three games away from fighting for their 15th ‘Orejona ‘, which would be the sixth in the last 10 editions.
The only coincidence is the coach: Carlo Ancelotti was the coach of Milan in 2007 and fifteen years later he sits on the bench of Real Madrid.
Rodrygo double
At Stamford Bridge, the same stadium where Real Madrid played a year ago in the same instance (3-1 with a hat trick from Benzema), Carlo Ancelotti’s team raised, as so many times, an open combat, an exchange of blows in the one in which the Spanish champion is usually victorious due to his great punch.
But when opportunities to score are not taken advantage of (such as Rodrygo’s shot at the post in minute 20 or Modric’s shot saved by Kepa in minute 32), there is a risk that the opponent will strike first and turn the tie upside down.
And Chelsea had chances to have set the tie on fire, especially with a clear chance from Kanté who sent his shot wide (11) and, above all, with a shot at the far post, free of mark, from Cucurella that Courtois saved just before the break (45+1).
Once again, the Belgian international was essential for his team. He doesn’t score goals like Benzema or Vinicius, but Courtois’ saves should often count as goals. At least they have the same value for a team.
But nothing seems to make this Real Madrid doubt, in contention to win its 15th European Cup (which would be the 6th in the last ten editions). Like the legendary heavyweights of history, sure of having dynamite in his fist, he waited for his moment to take down his opponent.
Havertz was still able to provide some suspense with a shot that Militao took (57) and almost immediately, Rodrygo ran the entire left wing to stand alone against Kepa and after passing the ball through Vinicius, the Brazilian pushed the ball into the net ( 58).
And Rodrygo shot at Chelsea, finishing off a ball that Fede Valverde gave him after a great play by the Uruguayan (80), to definitively silence Stamford Bridge, with the ‘Blues’ fans leaving the stadium en masse.
In the semifinals everything indicates that Real Madrid will face Manchester City (who should do well on Wednesday in the 3-0 first leg against Bayern Munich), but until then (there are three weeks left for the first leg at the Bernabéu) Ancelotti will have a double concern: the certain absence of Militao due to suspension and the physical condition of Benzema, who retired injured in 66, with a blow to his foot.