Overview
Chelsea laid down a marker with a statement win over the most successful club in Champions League history, and the margin of victory could’ve easily been twice 2-0. Chelsea executed the game-plan — well, except the finishing part — with absolute conviction and blew away a very strong opponent.
Every Chelsea starter brought their A-game. Chelsea created opportunities from almost every scenario — turnovers, set-pieces, set possession play, etc. — and did not give Madrid any time to breathe on the ball. Purely in terms of performance, this was arguably Chelsea’s best outing since the 2-1 win away at Atlético Madrid in 2017-18.
Match statistics
Statistics from fbref and wyscout.
Note: some statistics on the player charts might not corroborate with those presented in the “stats of note” sections. This is because the stats for the charts are obtained from a different source and not fbref. For instance, Jorginho has 7 loose-ball recoveries according to fbref and 8 according to Opta. In most cases, the differences will be minimal.
Individual ratings
Thomas Tuchel
Got pretty much every single decision right over the course of game, thoroughly outdoing Zidane. Possession stats might indicate that Chelsea were set to defend deep and hope for the best but that could not be further from the truth. We let a distinctly unathletic Real Madrid team have the ball and thoroughly pounced on their physical inadequacies to create transition after transition.
One would expect Madrid to have created consistent chances considering their possession but Chelsea did extraordinarily well to limit this, too. Besides one hard header from Benzema, Madrid did not create even half-openings and were managed with remarkable ease. Chelsea pressed like a pack of wolves and had Madrid walking into the traps set all over the pitch, a true mark of a well-coached team.
Chelsea might not have superstars littered all over the pitch like our opponents, do but what we do have is a manager who fully understands the characteristics of the team. It was an absolute masterclass.
RATING: 10
Édouard Mendy — GK
Mendy’s save off Benzema in the first half was exceptional and worthy of a high rating by itself. He then followed it up with two more good saves to ensure he finished the night as the goalkeeper with the most clean sheets in the competition — 8. His distribution was very good too.
Stats of note
5 saves
6 passes completed over 40 yards (8 attempted)
RATING: 8.5
César Azpilicueta — RWB
Dealt with the speed of Ferland Mendy and trickery of Eden Hazard pretty well. Made a few nice runs upfield too, although they were not fruitful.
Stats of note
38 pressures - 1st
3 passes into final third - Joint 1st
2 clearances - Joint 2nd
7 loose-ball recoveries - Joint 2nd
RATING: 7
Andreas Christensen — RCB
The performance of the players ahead of him meant he was hardly called into serious action. As remarkable as this sounds, Christensen and his centre-back partners coasted through a high-pressure game like it was a home assignment against Burnley. Christensen has ramped up his aggression as a wide centre-back without compromising on his reading of the game, a very good sign of his development.
Stats of note
4 clearances - 1st
2 tackles - Joint 2nd
7 loose-ball recoveries - Joint 2nd
3 progressive passes - Joint 3rd
RATING: 7.5
Thiago Silva — CB
Booked a second consecutive trip to the Champions League finals with the sort of no-frills performance we’ve become accustomed to seeing from him. Silva’s economy of movement and the way he makes everything look easy alone is often worth the price of admission. Could have perhaps done better from corners but that is a very minor gripe.
Stats of note
2 shots - Joint 2nd
2 aerial duels won (2 contested) - Joint 2nd
RATING: 7.5
Antonio Rüdiger — LCB
Yet another rock-solid display, keeping the likes of Vinicius, Valverde and Asensio comfortably out of dangerous zones. Like Silva, what Rüdiger does is not easy and should not be taken for granted.
Stats of note
3 passes into final third - Joint 1st
2 tackles - Joint 2nd
2 clearances - Joint 2nd
2 aerial duels won (4 contested) - Joint 2nd
RATING: 7.5
Ben Chilwell — LWB
Showed excellent decision-making to keep things ticking over and picked the right moments to defer to his more expansive teammates on the ball. There is plenty of evidence to suggest he is an excellent ball-carrier, the next step in his development is to show it consistently.
Stats of note
3 tackles - Joint 1st
2 passes into penalty box - Joint 2nd
4 progressive passes received - Joint 2nd
3 progressive passes - Joint 3rd
RATING: 7
N’Golo Kanté — RCM
Had yet another supernova display on the back of his man-of-the-match performance last week. He created both goals virtually out of thin air and could have grabbed one for himself after a barely believable run the length of the pitch. While last week’s performance was a clinic in moving with the ball under pressure, Kanté opted to display his passing repertoire in the second leg and ran Madrid ragged.
Note: Both Kanté (5) and Jorginho (6) appear to have fewer interceptions on fbref as compared to Opta (3 each).
Stats of note
6 shot-creating actions - 1st
3 passes into penalty box - 1st
6 progressive passes - 1st
3 interceptions - Joint 1st
30 pressures - 2nd
5 progressive carries - 2nd
2 key passes - Joint 2nd
2 passes into final third - Joint 2nd
RATING: 9
Jorginho — CM
Had arguably his finest display for Chelsea. While his passing was broadly secure with one long-range pass standing out, it was his defensive effort that was truly notable. He was almost always in the right spot to cut out dangerous attacks and made a massive tackle late in the game on Benzema to keep it 1-0. His recent run of form has been nothing short of exemplary.
Stats of note
3 interceptions - Joint 1st
5 progressive passes - 2nd
2 key passes - Joint 2nd
2 passes into final third - Joint 2nd
2 tackles - Joint 2nd
2 clearances - Joint 2nd
7 loose-ball recoveries - Joint 2nd
2 aerial duels won (2 contested) - Joint 2nd
RATING: 8.5
Mason Mount — LCM
As was the case in the previous game, Mount showed some signs of physical and mental fatigue and was at times out of sync with his midfield partners. The fact he can deliver genuinely good performances on the biggest stage even when tired speaks volumes about his quality and the level he is at right now.
Stats of note
1 goal
3 shots - Joint 1st
3 tackles - Joint 1st
5 touches in penalty box - Joint 1st
2 successful dribbles (2 attempted) - Joint 1st
2 carries into penalty box - Joint 1st
2 passes into final third - Joint 2nd
4 progressive passes received - Joint 2nd
26 pressures - 3rd
3 shot-creating actions - Joint 3rd
RATING: 7.5
Timo Werner — LF
His new and simplified role as a second striker behind Havertz seems to have done him a world of good. Werner got the ball predominantly close to the box or on transitions and wreaked havoc against a slow Madrid team. Besides his opportunistic goal, he should have had at least one assist too. It was not for nothing that Werner was considered a €100 million player when we signed him, performances like this one go a long way to show why.
Stats of note
1 goal
3 key passes - 1st
7 progressive passes received - 1st
8 loose-ball recoveries - 1st
3 carries into final third - Joint 1st
5 shot-creating actions - 2nd
2 shots - Joint 2nd
2 passes into penalty box - Joint 2nd
RATING: 8.5
Kai Havertz — RF
Havertz did not merely match Ramos and Militão physically, he out-fought and bullied them in the air and on the ground. His game on-the-ball was at its best too, levitating across the pitch and nutmegging opponents for fun. His finishing was well below-par but he brought so much to the table that even without goals, this was a terrific centre-forward display.
Stats of note
3 aerial duels won (7 contested) - 1st
3 shots - Joint 1st
3 interceptions - Joint 1st
5 touches in penalty box - Joint 1st
2 successful dribbles (2 attempted) - Joint 1st
7 progressive carries - Joint 1st
3 carries into final third - Joint 1st
3 shot-creating actions - Joint 3rd
RATING: 8
Substitutes
Christian Pulisic (67th minute) — Bringing Pulisic off the bench was a move designed well in advance and it paid off, as he eviscerated a tired Madrid defence at every opportunity.
Stats of note
1 assist
5 touches in penalty box - Joint 1st
7 progressive carries - Joint 1st
2 carries into penalty box - Joint 1st
4 progressive passes received - Joint 2nd
Reece James (88th minute) — Nothing of note.
Hakim Ziyech (89th minute) — Nothing of note.
Olivier Giroud (94th minute) — Nothing of note.