LIVE Report: Champions League Semi-Final: Real Madrid v Chelsea

FT: Real Madrid 1-1 Chelsea: live Champions League updates

FT: 1-1 it ends at the Di Stéfano.

92
Real Madrid make a late substitution, replacing Benzema with Rodrygo Goes.

91
Rüdiger is up, and looks like he’ll be OK to go on.

90
Three minutes of time added on at the Di Stéfano. It’ll probably end up being more than that, as Rüdiger is still getting medical attention after that clash of heads.

89
Odriozola is booked for bringing down Rüdiger as the German thunders forward down the left wing. The pair clash heads as Odriozola goes flying in on Rüdiger, and the latter needs some treatment

88
Kroos pings a low effort towards Mendy’s goal, but it takes a touch off Kanté and runs out for a corner.

The German takes, fizzing a fantastic ball right onto Varane’s head – but the Frenchman directs the ball just wide! What a delivery that was from Kroos.

86
Hazard drifts out to the right wing and wraps his foot around a curling cross into the box, but Christensen clears. A minute later, Madrid get Odriozola into a position to fire the ball into the danger area from the right-hand byline, but again Chelsea deal with it.

The defences are on top now; certainly not something you could have said in the first half.

83
Kanté barrels through two or three white shirts before clipping a cross into the box from the right, but Varane clears. Moments later, Chilwell tries to get Mount into a shooting position just inside the Real Madrid area, but Militao deals with it.

80
Real Madrid keep it for a long while, before Casemiro lifts it into Hazard, who has peeled away from his marker. However, the Belgian tries a complicated feint-and-go that doesn’t work.

79
Ziyech takes the free-kick, but his shot towards the near post is fairly easily gathered by Courtois.

78
Varane brings Havertz down on the right-hand corner of the box, earning himself a yellow card and handing Chelsea a dangerous set-piece chance.

77
Real Madrid make a double change, Álvaro Odriozola and Marco Asensio replacing Carvajal and Marcelo. They both slip into the wing-back roles vacated by the two men brought off; Odriozola on the right, Asensio on the left.

75
Varane brings down Kroos right-wing free-kick at the back of the box and, after twisting and turning in search of a yard of space to send in a cross, wins a corner off James.

Kroos’ corner falls to Benzema on the edge of the box, but the striker’s volley is blocked, as is Marcelo’s follow-up.

73
Militao does very well to rob Ziyech as the Moroccan tries to advance into the box, but is forced to knock it behind. The corner finally falls to Ziyech at the back of the box, but Courtois is alive to his attempts to catch the keeper out with a looping effort towards the far corner, and gets his feet in position to grab hold.

71
Jorginho tries to get James in behind the Real Madrid defence with a long diagonal ball towards the right-hand side of the box, but it’s too long and flies out for a goal-kick.

A minute later, Ziyech runs at the Madrid defence on the left and fizzes the ball low across the box towards Havertz, but it’s too far in front of the German and the ball again runs behind.

69
Mount turns on a six pence on the edge of the Real Madrid area, but his shot – which looked to be heading towards Coutois’ top corner – rebounds off Varane’s head. That’s not Mount’s first neat change of direction tonight.

Moments later, Reece crosses from the right-hand byline, but it’s cleared. It feels like a much tighter game now

On comes Hazard for Real Madrid.

Meanwhile, Chelsea make three changes, bringing on Reece James, Hakim Ziyech and Kai Havertz for Azpilicueta, Pulisic and Werner.

65
Just as I say that Marcelo is forced to scythe Pulisic down as he scampers towards the Madrid half, and is booked.

64
Chelsea are struggling to break Real Madrid’s press now; they spend a good minute trying to play their way clear, before Militao wins it back off Pulisic and launches a fresh attack for the hosts. Encouraging signs for Zidane’s men.

62
Narrative klaxon: Eden Hazard is preparing to come on for Real Madrid. Chelsea are also getting ready to make a change – a couple, indeed.

60
Kroos is booked for tugging back Kanté on the right wing, and Chelsea have a chance to swing the ball into the Real Madrid box.

Mount delivers, but it’s Kroos who brings it clear, before himself winning a free-kick.

58
Now it’s Chelsea’s turn to keep the ball for a minute or so, before Thiago Silva sends a high ball from right to left to meet Chilwell’s run into the box. However, Carvajal gets his body in the way and prevents the left-back from getting on the end of it.

55
Real Madrid enjoy their first prolonged spell of possession of the first half, finally working it to Modric, who looks to slip Vinicius in behind the Chelsea defence and into the box. Thiago is watching the pass all the way, though, and steps in to cut out the Croat’s pass and bring the ball clear.

50
First opening of the second 45 for Real Madrid – and guess who is at the centre of it. Benzema cuts in from the left and, with the Chelsea defence backing off, thumps an effort on goal. He sends the ball well over, though.

48
Back come Chelsea, Jorginho winning it back off Marcelo and feeding Kanté, who in turn slips it on to Werner in the Real Madrid box. He gets it out of his feet and lets fly, but Varane gets himself into position to block.

There’s definitely another goal or two out there for Chelsea tonight – if they can start finishing a bit better.

46
Chelsea go straight on the attack, Mount producing a lovely turn on the left wing before bending a cross into the six-yard box. It’s too close to Courtois, however, and Real Madrid clear.

With no fans in the stands, you can hear absolutely everything injured Madrid captain Sergio Ramos is shouting from the sidelines. And he’s shouting a lot

Pulisic becomes the first America to score in a Champions League semi-final and the highest scoring American in the Champions League.

45
Benzema plays it inside to Modric, who looks to release Kroos into space on the left wing. However, the Croat gets a little bit too much on his ball and it skims off the wet turf and out.

41
Pulisic leads a Chelsea break, before slipping the ball right to Werner. The German puts his head down and runs at Militao, before striking at goal from the right-hand side of the Real Madrid penalty box… but he slices his effort and it flies harmlessly into the side-netting.

Benzema moves up all-time UCL scoring charts
That Karim Benzema strike sees the Frenchman move to joint-fourth in the all-time Champions League scoring charts, alongside fellow Real Madrid legend Raúl González Blanco.

Benzema now trails only Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski.

38
Pulisic becomes the first Chelsea player to get a yellow card after bringing down Marcelo.

37
Thiago Silva steps out of defence and thumps a long-range effort towards goal that flicks of Militao’s head and out for a corner. A good thing for Real Madrid that it did; replays suggest the shot was on target. The corner comes to nought.

 

 

 

 

 

 

35
Twice Pulisic crosses from the right; the first is blocked, before the second skims off Werner’s head and out. Just too high for the German.

32
At one end, Chelsea look to respond immediately to that Benzema equaliser, sending in a left-wing corner that Courtois comfortably claims. At the other, Kroos chests it down on the edge of the Chelsea area and curls a shot just past Mendy’s far post.

It’s beautifully poised at the Di Stéfano.

29
Real Madrid level! It’s a fine strike by Benzema!

Well, well, well, will Chelsea live to regret not taking more of those chances? They’ve been much the better side, but having survived one moment of Benzema class, they’re now pegged back by another.

Modric drifts a deep cross to the far post to Casemiro, who nods it back across the box. Benzema somehow manages to bring the ball under control with his head, before rifling a volley high into the net past a helpless Mendy.

All square in Madrid

27 Vinicius is the first man to go into the referee’s notebook after bringing down Pulisic.

25
Now Mount goes close for Chelsea! Kanté carries the ball into the Real Madrid box before feeding Pulisic, who turns it on to Mount in shooting space on the left-hand side of the box – but he scuffs his effort past Courtois’ post!

Madrid are really, really struggling to live with Chelsea quick attacks, and are probably fortunate only to have conceded the one.

23
Benzema hits the post! Chelsea have carried pretty much all the danger in the last 10 minutes or so, but Real Madrid are inches away from levelling through a piece of individual brilliance by the Frenchman.

Benzema gets the ball out of his feet 25 yards from goal and utterly wallops an effort towards Mendy’s top corner. The keeper is beaten all ends up, but the ball clips the corner of post and bar and bounces behind

22 Every time Chelsea break at pace, Real Madrid look terrified. Kanté feeds it square to Pulisic, who bursts forward into space just outside of the Real Madrid box.

However, the attack loses momentum when Pulisic overhits his ball right to Werner, who stretches to keep it in and can only direct his cross straight at Courtois.

It’s absolutely teeming down in Madrid, by the way.

Pulisic the first American to score in UCL semi

That Christian Pulisic goal makes him the first American to score in a Champions League semi-final, note football stats specialists Opta. He’s also only the fifth US player to find the net in a Champions League knockout tie.

18
Kroos receives and curls a ball into the Chelsea box, but it’s right down Eduard Mendy’s gullet and it’s easy for the Chelsea goalkeeper.

14 Goal!!!!!
Pulisic gives Chelsea the lead!

 Chelsea had begun to really threaten in the last few minutes, and they have their reward thanks to a fine piece of control and a cool, cool finish from the American.

Rüdiger lifts a long ball over the Real Madrid backline for Pulisic to run on to, and he brings it down with a lovely first touch before advancing into the box, rounding Courtois and smashing home!

Advantage Chelsea.

11
What a chance for Werner to give Chelsea the lead! Mount scampers into Real Madrid’s box, before delivering it into the middle, via a deflection off Luka Modric. The looping ball falls to the back post, where Pulisic heads it back across to Werner in shooting space six yards out… but Courtois saves!

What an opportunity for Chelsea. Fine goalkeeping from Courtois.

And moments later, Azpilicueta curls in a tantalising low cross into the box that Werner is inches away from connecting with! Had he managed to get a touch, that would surely have been 1-0.

9
Chelsea slightly get away with it there: Real Madrid win it back right on the edge of the Blues’ box, but when Vinicius tries to play it square to Karim Benzema to shoot, it’s cut out.

The away side clear, and go oh so close to scoring!

7
Jorginho hoofs a cross into the Real Madrid box from deep, but he doesn’t connect well with his delivery and it bounces straight into Courtois’ hands. Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel looks a touch displeased with the Italian’s decision-making there. He could possibly have shown a little more patience.

5
Chelsea get their first real chance to attack Real Madrid at pace, Timo Werner leading the break before slipping it right to Christian Pulisic, who’s forced slightly wide by the German’s pass. The visitors finally work the ball over to Mason Mount on the left-hand side of the penalty box, but the England international is run off it and Real Madrid bring it clear.

3
Real Madrid enjoy a long old early spell of possession, albeit all they manage to do is inch into the Chelsea half before taking it all the way back to goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. Nacho then looks to play a penetrative ball into the left-hand channel, but it’s cut out

Welcome along to live coverage of Chelsea’s huge Champions League semi final first leg clash against Real Madrid from the Spanish capital.

A spot in the final in Istanbul later this month is on the lie for the winners over the next 180 minutes of football which pits fourth in the Premier League against second in La Liga in what promises to be a mouthwatering couple of games.

Thomas Tuchel takes his side to the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano having lost only twice in 21 games in charge since replacing Frank Lampard and off the back of a 1-0 victory over West Ham at the weekend in the Premier League,

Zinedine Zidane’s side meanwhile have drawn two of their last three matches 0-0 but are only two points behind city rivals Atletico at the summit of the La Liga tree having gone unbeaten in their last ten games.

It promises to be a fascinating contest at the Real Madrid training ground at Valdebebas on the outskirts of the city. The match is not being played at the usual home of Los Blancos, the Santiago Bernabeu, as the spiritual home of the club is undergoing extensive remodelling work.