Chelsea vs Real Madrid: Three lessons learnt as Blues advance

Chelsea put on a convincing show in its second leg demolition of Real Madrid on Wednesday evening. The Blues won 2-0 (3-1 on aggregate) with goals from Timo Werner and Mason Mount. However, the goalscorers are far from the only ones who deserve a shout. As Toni Kroos came to learn, Chelsea is a forced to be reckoned with as a unit. Stamford Bridge played host to a complete performance from all 11 Blues, who quite frankly played Los Blancos off the pitch. Thomas Tuchel’s side secured a trip to the Champions League final for the first time since 2012. That famous night in Munich holds a special place in the hearts of many Chelsea fans, who will hope to relive that glory once more on May 29 in Istanbul.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t also mention the history the Blues made on Wednesday. When Tuchel’s men booked their place in the UCL final, Chelsea became the first club ever to have both the men’s and women’s teams in the title game of Europe’s premier competition during the same year. Congratulations are in order for both sides, although the job is far from over!

Here are three lessons we learnt in the historic win over Real Madrid:

1. All we need is time

A lot has been said about the Blues’ front three throughout the season. To put it lightly, no matter the combination used up top, Chelsea’s forwards have been underwhelming. As a result there have been rumors linking the Blues to players like Erling Haaland, Romelu Lukaku and Sergio Aguero. However, if we learned anything in the second leg it’s that they just need time. It goes without saying that Mason Mount is basically excluded from all of this considering he is Chelsea’s Player of the Season and most important individual.

Kai Havertz—despite not appearing on the scoresheet thanks to the pesky crossbar (x2)—played his best game in a Chelsea shirt on Wednesday. It was often easy to forget he is only 21 years old when he was toying with Real Madrid throughout his time on the pitch. Havertz has come under fire on numerous occasions this season for his lack of production, but we’re finally beginning to see why he demanded a club-record fee this summer. Havertz’s silky smooth touches are a spectacle to behold. His off-ball work helped the Blues dictate the match and its a shame he wasn’t rewarded for his efforts in the form of a goal. Regardless, the world was put on high alert when they tuned into Stamford Bridge to see a masterclass by the young German.

There is no player on the Blues’ roster who has been criticized more than Timo Werner throughout the year. Werner is the perfect example of why Chelsea supporters should have patience with the new signings. There were times in this contest where the German forward could have been better. He had a goal ruled out for offsides and he missed a few passes in the final third that could have been converted. Nevertheless, Werner scored the all-important first goal in a second leg of the Champions League semifinal.

The Blues created a plethora of chances on the night and ended up with a pair of goals. The dominance of the front three helped keep Los Blancos on the back foot and essentially sealed the tie for Chelsea. There have been a fair share of frustrating moments this season in regards to the attack, but if we continue to be patient with the youngsters, they will repay us with gargantuan performances on the biggest stages.