Chelsea might well be feeling discontent despite a positive 1-1 draw at Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final.
The two sides traded superb goals, first from Christian Pulisic and then Karim Benzema, to ensure it’s all square heading to Stamford Bridge next week, although the Blues have that crucial away goal.
But that slight advantage could’ve been far greater after an opening 30 minutes which saw Thomas Tuchel’s men play Madrid off the park.
After an astonishing miss from Timo Werner, Chelsea got a deserved lead in the 14th minute when Pulisic rounded former Blue Thibaut Courtois and kept his composure to beat numerous white shirts on the line.
Fifteen minutes of intense pressure followed and it looked like the visitors could run away with it – only for Benzema to show his class.
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The France striker drew level with Raul as the fourth-highest scorer in Champions League history with a fantastic scissor-kick volley in the box.
“Stunning finish from such a top operator in Benzema,” former Chelsea midfielder Andy Townsend told talkSPORT on commentary.
“He didn’t give the Chelsea goalkeeper a prayer. It’s a stunning goal that brings them back into a game they really don’t deserve to be.”
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A far more even second followed as both managers responded to an incredibly open first 45 minutes.
The headline, in fact, was probably the introduction of Eden Hazard to face his former club, although the Belgian didn’t have much of an impact.
By the end, it felt like a good result for Chelsea – but will they look back at that first half with regret next Wednesday?
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