Champions League

With another hat trick against Chelsea to put Real Madrid ahead 3-1 on aggregate after the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal series, Benzema ...

Real Madrid Real Madrid Atletico Madrid Atletico Madrid Nov. 2 vs. Nov. 2 vs. Apr. 6 vs. Game 3 La Liga: Benzema has 24 goals and 11 assists in La Liga play alone, leading the league in both categories. Not only is he scoring goals in bunches, he's also assisting chances for teammates, racking up double-digit assist totals as well. But luckily for the Galacticos, they had claimed a 3-1 first-leg win and advanced 6-5 on aggregate. He also has 13 goals in his last seven games across all competitions.

Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has stated that his side need to show improvement against Southampton after their loss to Real Madrid on Wednesday night.

No we don't have to go to Madrid, we go to Southampton. This is very important and crucial to go there. The second leg of the tie will be played in Madrid on Tuesday night after their trip to the Saints on Saturday afternoon. "What do you expect, to stand here and smile?

The Blues will face Los Blancos for the sixth time in their competitive history, with a place in the Champions League semi-final up for grabs.

The two other games came in the old European Cup Winners Cup, with a 1-1 draw in the first leg followed up by a 2-1 win for Chelsea in 1971. However, with Carlo Ancelotti’s side sitting top of La Liga and with crowds back in attendance, it could be a different challenge this time around. Chelsea face a stern battle with Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday night, with a place in the final four of the competition up for grabs.

While Madrid's talisman scored a second straight UCL hat trick, Chelsea's main striker started on the bench and failed to impress after coming on.

Tuchel described creating that match-up with his 3-5-2 line-up as "my mistake" and even took the unusual step of turning down an easy opportunity to talk up the prospect of a second-leg revival. And in Lukaku's defence, none of Tuchel substitutions worked particularly well. The awkward truth for Chelsea and Thomas Tuchel is that it was Karim Benzema, a 34-year-old somehow improving with age, turning this Champions League quarterfinal tie perhaps irrevocably in Real Madrid's favour in Wednesday's 3-1 win. Lukaku was signed as the one-man solution but the problem remains. But the individual decisions today were far from our level of standards." "It was very important," said Tuchel of Lukaku's miss.

VILLARREAL, Spain: An electrifying Villarreal beat six times European Cup winners Bayern Munich 1-0 in a frantic Champions League quarter-final first leg ...

While the future of Chelsea football club remains in turmoil off the field, the team suffered a torrid night on the pitch in its Champions League ...

It was a second consecutive hat trick for the Frenchman in this competition, coming after his heroics in the round of 16 against Paris Saint-Germain. With the semifinals looking like a distant dream for Chelsea, the home support started to become frustrated but there was still a twist to come in a frantic first half. It was a game that promised to look very different when the draw was made.

Karim Benzema's hat-trick in the Champions League first-leg over Chelsea has Real Madrid with one foot in the semi-finals after an impressive 3-1 victory at ...

– Benzema and Vinicius have combined for five Champions League goals this season; a tally more than any other duo in the competition this term. “Benzema helps the team in build-ups, he presses, he’s always moving – so difficult to mark him. The tie isn’t over, we have to win at home.” “It’s a shame that I couldn’t stop their goal as the ball hit my palm, but it’s a good victory in difficult circumstances. – The 34-year-old has become the first French player to reach 10+ goals in a single campaign in the Champions League. – For the first time in his career, the striker has now been involved in 50 goals in one season, registering 37 goals and 13 assists.

The 2021-22 UEFA Champions League has produced several memorable nights, with so many great individual performances and the first leg of the quarter-finals ...

It turned out to be a stroke of genius from the Spaniard. A mere 79 seconds after stepping onto the pitch, Foden took the game by the horns when he ventured forward in attack on a probing run. Overall, it was a stellar performance from Diaz, whose rampaging runs down the left wing unbalanced Benfica’s defenders and forced them into making a series of mistakes. But for all their domination, the Blues couldn’t find a way to unlock the Spaniard’s defence - at times, it looked like manager Diego Simeone set his team up in a 5-5-0 formation just to frustrate the reigning Premier League champions. A mere 50 seconds into the second half he completed his hat trick, pouncing on an error from Mendy to stunt any chance of a Chelsea comeback. Benzema, 34, now has 37 goals in all competitions in 2021-22 for the Spanish club, and he joined an elite group - alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski - as the only men to score more than 80 career goals in the Champions League. It could have been far worse for the Bavarians if not for Davies, who made a spectacular recovery run to snuff out a clear scoring chance by Villarreal’s Gerard Moreno with a timely block.

Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Casemiro represent arguably the finest Champions League midfield in history. We look at great Barcelona, Manchester United and ...

It was a similar story in a more emphatic 3-1 triumph when the sides met at Wembley two years later, with Iniesta, Xavi and Sergio Busquets combining to plonk United on what Ferguson had previously termed the passing “carousel”. Large helpings of luck and fleets of parked buses meant Barca never made it back-to-back European titles under Guardiola, with Inter and Chelsea frustrating them in the 2010 and 2012 semi-finals respectively. But where the likes of Jose Mourinho’s Porto and Chelsea sides had a hard, pragmatic edge, the inimitable Andrea Pirlo brought beauty to the Serie A side’s play. Alex Ferguson’s United had already won a couple of domestic doubles in the mid-1990s but it was his team at the end of the decade that took their achievements global. Pirlo, Gattuso and Seedorf all stayed on, but subsequent last-16 losses to Arsenal, United and Tottenham showed the magic had faded. Veron’s move to United might not have been a success on its own terms, but Ferguson rightly detected the winds of change. After that, Kaka replaced cult hero Rui Costa as the number 10 playing ahead of Ancelotti’s midfield trident and his Milan truly had lift-off. However, Scholes and Keane sat out the final through suspension as a patched-up midfield featuring Jesper Blomqvist found a way past Bayern Munich in unforgettably dramatic fashion. Aided by the abolition of the previously mentioned three overseas rule (no need to bench Peter Schmeichel for a hammering at Camp Nou anymore!), United were able to more easily transfer their form in England onto the continental stage. Another veteran of Arrigo Sacchi’s tenure, the tireless Roberto Donadoni, provided a contrasting threat on the right to Boban on the left. The quartet laid waste to Johan Cruyff’s Barcelona ‘Dream Team’ in the 1994 final, where Desailly was brilliantly on the scoresheet. The Rossoneri were hardly short of quality central defensive options, which meant Desailly found himself deployed as a roving, powerhouse midfielder.

An Arnaut Danjuma strike in the eighth minute sealed a surprise win for Villarreal. . Read more at straitstimes.com.

Six-time European champions Bayern host Villarreal in Munich on April 12. “We were lucky (not to concede) from that error,” added Nagelsmann. “It’s a deserved defeat, we were not good,” Nagelsmann told DAZN. “In the first half we didn’t have enough energy, we didn’t create chances for ourselves and we surrendered control.”

Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has blasted his side's drop in standards as they tease a quarter-final exit from the Champions League.

He also shared his thoughts on the game to BT Sport as he said: "It's a heavy loss. "We can play much better. "The schedule is not our friend this season and we've struggled from it.

Liverpool, Manchester City, Real Madrid and Villarreal are one step closer to the UEFA Champions League semifinals. Liverpool defeated Benfica 3-1 and...

Yet it felt like just a matter of time before Benzema would score again, and he did one minute into the second half. He also skyrocketed himself into the top three on the Champions League goals leaderboard and just missed a first-half hat trick with an open look at a potential third. Ibrahima Konate, Sadio Mane and Luis Diaz were the ones to find the back of the net in the impressive showing. 🥶 pic.twitter.com/647s2zqN4U Villarreal take the early lead over Bayern 😲

(via @CBSSportsGolazo)pic.twitter.com/eBcAlaqiKP Clinical from Kevin De Bruyne on his 50th #UCL appearance. BACK TO BACK #UCL HAT-TRICKS FOR KARIM BENZEMA, HE GETS A GIFT. 🎁 pic.twitter.com/2a0g1b0we7 Karim Benzema. Two perfect headers in three minutes.

Ridiculous 🤯

(via @TUDNUSA)pic.twitter.com/xrPNHh3W64 Diaz in particular shined with an assist on the Mane goal and his own insurance goal in the 87th minute. Salah is the one in the top five for goals for Liverpool, but they used more of a balanced attack to create a two-goal lead over Benfica in Tuesday's matchup. Liverpool defeated Benfica 3-1 and Manchester City defeated Atletico Madrid 1-0 in the first leg of their quarterfinal ties on Tuesday, while Real Madrid defeated Chelsea 3-1 and Villarreal defeated Bayern Munich 1-0 in their first legs on Wednesday. While much of the attention is on the results as the eight remaining teams battle for the title, there was also a shakeup when it came to the top scorers in Champions League play thus far with Karim Benzema scoring a hat trick for Real Madrid.

VILLARREAL, Spain (AP) — Villarreal pulled off another surprising Champions League result, this time against sixth-time champion Bayern Munich to boost its ...

The team is playing in the quarterfinals for a record 20th time. Liverpool won the first leg in Lisbon 3-1. First with a low shot from outside the area that hit the post in the 53rd, and 10 minutes later after intercepting a bad pass by Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer near midfield and missing his long-range shot into the open net. It was Danjuma’s sixth goal in nine Champions League appearances this season, and seventh in 11 career games in the competition. Villarreal looked in control from the start and Bayern struggled to create significant scoring chances. Villarreal stunned Juventus 3-0 in Italy after a 1-1 draw at home in the last 16.

Benzema, 34, claimed his hat-trick when he pounced on an error by Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy just after halftime to put the Spaniards in control of ...

Chelsea sought to fight back in the second half with the best chance falling to substitute Romelu Lukaku - Chelsea's record signing who has struggled to fit in at Stamford Bridge - but he headed narrowly wide as a deflected ball dropped to him on the edge of the six-yard box in the 69th minute. Then I got another and I’m very happy," Benzema told Spanish television. But Chelsea's chances of a comeback were undone by Mendy's mistake in the 46th minute when, outside his box, he tried to pass to Antonio Rudiger only for Benzema to intercept and steer the ball into an empty net for his 37th goal of the season.

Some of the brighter recent names to have worn the Spanish royal crown on their uniform: Cristiano Ronaldo. Zinedine Zidane. Sergio Ramos. Gareth Bale. Iker ...

Real Madrid is known for having stellar talent in the clutch. In case it wasn’t clear, Benzema is on an all-time tear. I don’t know; how about yet another unstoppable hat trick for one of the world’s premier strikers? Real Madrid is used to playing meaningful international games in the spring. To finish it past the goalkeeper. They’re also routinely stacked with some of the world’s finest stars.

Karim Benzema's second successive UEFA Champions League hat-trick earned Real Madrid a 3-1 lead over Chelsea after the first leg of their quarter-final tie.

Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid coach: "We had good control of the game, were dangerous on the counterattack. It was, moreover, a fabulous team effort by Carlo Ancelotti's side, who were tactically astute, composed in possession and incisive in attack. Indeed it was his cutting edge which was the true difference between the sides. He is 34 and he is the best No9 in the world. He works so hard, and his first two goals were exceptional quality." It was Vinícius who then teed up Madrid's No9 with a chipped cross that allowed him to head unerringly past Edouard Mendy without breaking stride.

The UEFA Champions League quarterfinals began on Tuesday as two title contenders, Liverpool and Manchester City both took all three points in their ...

2-0 LIV 2-0 LIV 2-0 LIV 2-0 LIV 2-0 LIV 2-0 LIV 2-0 LIV 2-0 LIV If they can keep the ball on the ground and be smart in their distribution, they can limit the chances and get a key clean sheet. Man of the Match pick: Thiago Alcantara has the technical ability to dominate and dictate this sort of contest and he will be one of the main dangers Benfica seek to neutralize. Adding to the stakes is the fact that Otamendi is a booking away from second-leg suspension so will be walking a tightrope from the off. It's hard to look at this matchup and come away with the expectation that anyone will have a larger say in how things will go than Benzema. With eight goals already in Champions League play, Benzema has been instrumental in Real's performance.

Chelsea come against Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals as they look to go the distance for a second time.

"In terms of a winning streak, reaching the final, maybe this is what happened to them. But even if the Blues make it past Madrid, neither Carragher or Henry have predicted them to go the distance for a second season in a row. Liverpool, Manchester City and Liverpool will win on penalties." "They trusted an almost similar squad over a long period of time which was impressive and outstanding. Tuchel is well aware of the threat Carlo Ancelotti's side will pose. But having lost 4-1 to Brentford on Saturday, it remains to be seen how they will react against the 13 time winners.

Europe's wealthiest clubs will be able to spend even more after the replacement for Financial Fair Play is approved...

But by the fourth season of enforcement, 75% to 100% of that prize money and TV cash could be deducted for breaching the threshold by the same amount. All the talk of UEFA reconsidering the historic merit places — that would have allowed Arsenal to return to the Champions League this season — has been repelled. City and PSG are yet to win the Champions League, though. UEFA did not seize the opportunity to scale back the enlargement in the wake of the Super League debacle. Just look to Spain to see how much of a difference being in the Champions League can make for a club. The same season saw Valencia bank 60.8 million euros ($66 million) from reaching the Champions League last 16.

Thomas Tuchel is taking on a modern great in Carlo Ancelotti, but who are the most successful coaches of the Champions League era?

It speaks of Del Bosque’s adaptability and shrewd man-management that the side he took to Hampden Park in 2002 looked somewhat different, with the first Galacticos era in full swing. Guardiola’s failure to win a Champions League at Bayern is a stick his critics regularly use to beat him. Los Blancos dealt compatriots Valencia the first of their consecutive final defeats in Paris thanks to goals from Fernando Morientes, Steve McManaman and Raul. Porto emerged from an upset-laden and chaotic 2003/04 Champions League as the victors after seeing off Monaco 3-0 in the final. Guardiola finally scaled that hurdle again with Manchester City last season, thanks to an authoritative 4-1 aggregate win over Paris Saint-Germain, but then the freshly crowned Premier League champions ran into Tuchel’s Chelsea. The Rossoneri and Ancelotti had their revenge against the same opponents in Athens two years later, with Filippo Inzaghi scoring both goals in a 2-1 win.

It's a replay of last season's Champions League semi-final as defending European champions Chelsea welcome 13-time winners Real Madrid to Stamford Bridge in the ...

As a rule, we’d suggest a paid-for service such as ExpressVPN (opens in new tab) which offers a 100 per cent risk-free money back guarantee. Of course, Paramount Plus (opens in new tab) is only available within the US. Stuck abroad? Those on Virgin Media will need the Virgin V6 box and a 4K TV to make sure they're getting the action at maximum resolution. Enjoy the English Premier League, Champions League and more through the BT Sport app on smart TVs, mobiles, tablets, games consoles, Chromecast or through the BT Sport website. We recommend ExpressVPN (opens in new tab) as it comes with a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee. For the Champions League, you may wish to choose 'USA' for Paramount+. Even if you have subscribed to the relevant Chelsea vs Real Madrid live stream rights holders, you won't be able to access them when outside your own country. You can use it to watch on your mobile, tablet, laptop, TV, games console and more. A Virtual Private Network (VPN) helps you get around this obstacle. It's a replay of last season's Champions League semi-final as defending European champions Chelsea welcome 13-time winners Real Madrid to Stamford Bridge in the first leg of the pick of the 2021/22 last eight ties. Eden Hazard is back in the treatment room, while boss Ancelotti has recovered from Covid to make the trip. You could even argue Ancelotti's side are lucky to be in the last eight at all.

Chelsea host Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge tonight. It's a huge game between two elite sides; the reigning European champions against the most successful ...

One such factor according to Diario AS is the fact that Ramadan began on April first. He was in a fasted state last season when Madrid beat Liverpool. Benzema, however, has said that he doesn’t notice a decrease in performance when he’s fasted and has said it’s important to him.

Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Casemiro represent arguably the finest Champions League midfield in history. We look at great Barcelona, Manchester United and ...

It was a similar story in a more emphatic 3-1 triumph when the sides met at Wembley two years later, with Iniesta, Xavi and Sergio Busquets combining to plonk United on what Ferguson had previously termed the passing “carousel”. Large helpings of luck and fleets of parked buses meant Barca never made it back-to-back European titles under Guardiola, with Inter and Chelsea frustrating them in the 2010 and 2012 semi-finals respectively. But where the likes of Jose Mourinho’s Porto and Chelsea sides had a hard, pragmatic edge, the inimitable Andrea Pirlo brought beauty to the Serie A side’s play. Alex Ferguson’s United had already won a couple of domestic doubles in the mid-1990s but it was his team at the end of the decade that took their achievements global. Pirlo, Gattuso and Seedorf all stayed on, but subsequent last-16 losses to Arsenal, United and Tottenham showed the magic had faded. Veron’s move to United might not have been a success on its own terms, but Ferguson rightly detected the winds of change. After that, Kaka replaced cult hero Rui Costa as the number 10 playing ahead of Ancelotti’s midfield trident and his Milan truly had lift-off. However, Scholes and Keane sat out the final through suspension as a patched-up midfield featuring Jesper Blomqvist found a way past Bayern Munich in unforgettably dramatic fashion. Aided by the abolition of the previously mentioned three overseas rule (no need to bench Peter Schmeichel for a hammering at Camp Nou anymore!), United were able to more easily transfer their form in England onto the continental stage. Another veteran of Arrigo Sacchi’s tenure, the tireless Roberto Donadoni, provided a contrasting threat on the right to Boban on the left. The quartet laid waste to Johan Cruyff’s Barcelona ‘Dream Team’ in the 1994 final, where Desailly was brilliantly on the scoresheet. The Rossoneri were hardly short of quality central defensive options, which meant Desailly found himself deployed as a roving, powerhouse midfielder.

Confident Chelsea will give their all to retain their Champions League crown this season, says attackers Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic.

We need to give everything we’ve got to defend it and make sure the cup stays in London." Ziyech: "We have to give it all for that. They face Real Madrid again this year, this time a round earlier in the quarter-finals.

Minute-by-minute report: Join Barry Glendenning for updates as Chelsea look to repeat last season's success over the 13-times European Cup winners.

Chelsea host Real Madrid in the first leg of a mouthwatering quarter-final match-up that is nigh on impossible to call. The occasion is special and the opponent is special. Christian Pulisic is back in contention for a place in the starting line-up after being rested over the weekend following his late return from international duty with the USA. Ruben Loftus-Cheek may make way from the side that lost against Brentford for Mateo Kovacic or Jorginho. 1 min: Chelsea get the ball rolling and it is sent wafting towards the right touchline. They line up either side of French referee Clement Turpin and his team of match officials ahead of the Champions League anthem, which is drowned out by noise from the stands. But at the same time is what we love. Reece James takes the free-kick and his low curler brings a fairly straightforward save out of Courtois. Chelsea old boy Thibaut Courtois was on hand to talk up Real Madrid’s chances. “Last season’s tie was different,” he said of Real’s exit a year ago. Real Madrid win it back immediately. 14 min: The first quarter hour has flown by, with neither team asserting dominance.

Liverpool's charge towards a historic quadruple continued Tuesday as Jurgen Klopp's side ran out a comfortable 3-1 winner away to Benfica in its Champions ...

"Each player in that situation wants to score, and obviously with all the stories around, it's clear that Mo wants to score as well, especially in this moment. "That's all, [it was an] important game for Mo and Sadio tonight. If the game is open, like it was, then you just give a clap and about all the rest, we can speak later. They came through an incredibly tough group and played against one of the most talented teams in Europe with Ajax -- and here they are. However, it wasn't all good news for Liverpool as Mo Salah's recent struggles in front of goal continued. . "We knew in halftime today that it's not done.

The quarter-finals of the Champions League got underway last night as Benfica hosted Liverpool, while Manchester City faced Atletico Madrid at the Etihad ...

Hello and welcome to The Athletic's live coverage of today's football news.The Champions League returned yesterday with Premier League title rivals ...

(Photo: Getty Images) (Photo: Getty Images) •4h ago (Photo: Getty Images) •4h ago (Photo: James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)

Chelsea: The Blues enter this match healthy aside from Ben Chilwell's knee ligament rupture, which will keep him out until the summer. Other than that, there ...

If he can't go, Davide Ancelotti and Abian Perdomo will be in charge. Craving even more coverage of the world's game? Chelsea: The Blues enter this match healthy aside from Ben Chilwell's knee ligament rupture, which will keep him out until the summer. - Chelsea vs. But this Real team looks like a stronger one after having bounced star-studded PSG in the round of 16. - TV and live stream:CBS and Paramount+

Karim Benzema set a new Champions League record for goals scored in a season by a French player after scoring a hat-trick for Real Madrid at Chelsea.

Most Goals In Champions League Season Although Benzema's 11 goals set a new French record, the overall Champions League record for most goals in a season is still held by Cristiano Ronaldo. Most Goals In A European Cup Season By A French Player

VILLARREAL, Spain: An electrifying Villarreal beat six times European Cup winners Bayern Munich 1-0 in a frantic Champions League quarter-final first leg ...

Chelsea host Real Madrid in the Champions League tonight whilst Bayern Munich travel to Villarreal - here is how to watch the quarter-final matches on TV ...

With both games being on at the same time, Chelsea vs Real Madrid will be shown on BT Sport 2, whilst Villarreal vs Bayern Munich will be on BT Sport 3. Both Manchester City and Liverpool will go into their second tie with the advantage after winning their first legs on Tuesday. City dominated the La Liga champions throughout the game, but came away with just the one goal lead, courtesy of a Kevin de Bruyne goal - with the Citizens having a tough tie travelling to Atletico for the second leg next week. With Chelsea now out of the picture in the Premier League - not to mention all the turmoil going on behind the scenes at the club - the Blues will hope to make a statement tonight in their Champions League knockout clash with Real Madrid in a season-defining tie.