Champions League against Real: Tuchel and the fear of a beating

Chelsea FC really have other concerns at the moment than the sudden problems on the football pitch.

The 2021 Champions League winner is for sale.

After the sanctions against the Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich as a result of the Ukraine war, the club should soon get a new owner.

There are a few interested parties with the necessary financial budget, although Chelsea could become a bargain due to the special circumstances.

According to experts, the value of a club from the English Premier League could rise sharply in the future.

Tobias Rabe

Responsible editor for Sport Online.

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However, this also requires sporting success.

A new trophy has already been added this season.

In February, the team of German coach Thomas Tuchel won the final of the Club World Cup thanks to a penalty goal by German striker Kai Havertz.

The English League Cup final, on the other hand, was lost to Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp in an epic penalty shoot-out.

Chelsea still has two options for

, as trophies are often called in England.

The best is in the FA Cup.

On Easter Sunday we face Crystal Palace in the semi-finals.

The chance of winning the Premier League championship is no longer realistic.

Already 14 points behind leaders Manchester City and 13 behind pursuers Liverpool, even with one game less they can hardly be made up.

The defending champions in the Champions League had more hopes – until a bitter Wednesday evening at their own stadium on Stamford Bridge in the London district of Fulham.

But after the 1: 3 in the first leg of the quarterfinals against Real Madrid, the disillusionment in Tuchel and Co. is great and the hope for the title is small.

"How often does that happen?"

On the one hand, this was due to the frightening appearance of the “Blues”, but on the other hand to one that had already annoyed Paris Saint-Germain in the previous round.

As in the second leg of the round of 16, Real striker Karim Benzema scored three goals in a short space of time.

A month ago he needed 17 minutes against the home country club and now he has allowed himself 25 minutes, interrupted by the half-time break.

Before that, the Frenchman had put two high-quality headers into the Chelsea goal (21st and 24th minutes), later he used a hair-raising defensive error (46th).

Tuchel, who could only be happy about the interim 1: 2 through Havertz' header (40th), was very disillusioned and also a little at a loss about the clear defeat.

After all, there will be another second leg next Tuesday (9 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for the Champions League and on DAZN), but the coach answered the question of whether he believed his team could still make up the gap of two goals in order to move into the semifinals .

"No, not at the moment, no," said Tuchel, who had already congratulated his opponent Carlo Ancelotti on winning the stage before the final whistle.

Tuchel also justified his pessimism, which actually doesn't fit in with the otherwise self-confident heavyweights of football: "Because we have to find our level again.

I don't know where it has been since the international break.” After the break, Chelsea conceded an amazing 4-1 draw at home to Brentford FC in the league, followed by a 3-1 draw against Real.

Tuchel is skeptical that the semi-finals will still work out.

"If things change, maybe," he said, "but how many clubs in world football could do that, three goals apart?"

How often does that happen?”

The first 45 minutes gnawed at the German coach.

"That was probably the worst first half since we've been at Chelsea.

That was far from any standard we set ourselves," he said.

"It was a repeat of the second half against Brentford." The second leg against Real is not a priority for Tuchel at first.

"I worry more about Southampton than Real Madrid next week," he said.

"We have to make sure everyone is processing this.

If we keep playing like this, we'll lose in Southampton - and then we'll get beaten up at the Bernabeu."

Chelsea go to England's south coast on Saturday (4 p.m. on Sky), Real travels back to Spain with the win and a good feeling.

That was mainly due to Benzema.

"What he's doing is incredible.

He's having the season of his life, he's very focused and hungry to score," said former Bayern Munich striker David Alaba of the 34-year-old striker, who has long been overshadowed by Cristiano Ronaldo in Madrid but is now showing his immense value for Real and after the unsavory affair about a sex video also plays again in the French national team.

All hits showed his extra class.

First he heaved a header from a long distance in a perfect arc past Edouard Mendy into the goal, a little later he tried to run back with his head without power, but with precision so that the goalkeeper had no chance.

And finally, after a liberating blow, he waited for the opponent's mistake.

Mendy and German national defender Antonio Rüdiger foolishly frittered away the ball with sloppy passes, while the lurking Benzema pushed the ball into the empty goal from long range.

“Those three goals are really important.

I'm most excited about the third because I missed a chance in the first half and thought about it," said Benzema.

After two successful headers, he missed with his foot because he didn't hit the ball cleanly (42').

“We went into the game wanting to win.

And if Madrid take that approach, it's very positive for us.” Against Chelsea, Benzema scored his number nine, ten and eleven Champions League goals this season.

Only Bayern striker Robert Lewandowski has more at twelve.

Still.