Real Madrid dug deep to produce a classic Champions League comeback as the 13-time winners came from behind to oust reigning champions Chelsea from the quarterfinals 5-4 on aggregate after two thrilling matches.
Los Blancos carried over a 3-1 advantage from the first leg but soon saw that wiped out at the Bernabeu as goals from Mason Mount and Antonio Rudiger levelled the aggregate score inside 51 second-leg minutes. A further goal for either side from Timo Werner and Rodrygo saw the encounter extend into extra time, when Karim Benzema once again emerged as the hero for Real by scoring a 96th-minute winner — the veteran France striker’s career-high 12th Champions League goal of the season.
With that, Real booked themselves a place in the Champions League semifinals for the 15th time in their history, considerably more than any other club (Barcelona and Bayern Munich are both on 12).
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As for omens, the Spanish giants have now advanced from all five Champions League knockout ties in which they’ve faced the defending champions since 1992-93 and gone on to win the competition in all of the previous four instances.
“How can I explain the magic of this stadium? It helps the team and players a lot to never give up and we never gave up,” Real boss Carlo Ancelotti said after the game. “I’m very happy to be in the semifinal, the more you suffer, the happier I am!”
Ancelotti set a new landmark and further strengthened his claim that, if any coach is worthy of being known as “Mr. Champions League,” it’s him. Few can claim the sheer longevity enjoyed by the 62-year-old Italian, who has become part of the furniture in the latter stages of Europe’s elite competition and lifted the trophy three times.
Ancelotti has now reached the semifinals of the competition in four different decades as a manager — and that total goes up to five if you include his career as a player.
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