Real Madrid advanced to the Champions League semi-finals with a 2-0 win over Chelsea on Tuesday, capping off a 4-0 aggregate victory that effectively ended the struggling London club’s season.
The home team came into the match at Stamford Bridge with form and history against them, with Frank Lampard back in the dugout for a second stint.
They started brightly, playing enterprising football, but they rued two huge first-half missed chances that would have put pressure on the defending champions.
Rodrygo scored in the 58th minute and doubled his tally with 10 minutes remaining to make Chelsea pay for their carelessness.
Chelsea, the 2021 European champions, have now lost all four of their matches since Lampard returned to the club as caretaker boss earlier this month in place of the sacked Graham Potter.
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti stuck with the same team that won the first leg 2-0 last week while Chelsea caretaker boss Lampard restored Reece James, Mateo Kovacic, and N’Golo Kante to his line-up.
Roared on by an expectant crowd despite their current woes, the home side made a bright start against the 14-time winners.
They had a glorious chance to take the lead but Kante skewed his left-foot shot wide from about 12 yards.
The visitors, content to bide their time, looked sharp on the break.
Midway through the opening period Rodrygo created space for himself and thumped an effort against the outside of the post from an acute angle, though goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga may have had it covered.
Luka Modric tested Kepa with a shot from an angle and five minutes before half-time Vinicius Junior skewed a shot wide from close range after a cross from the Croatia midfielder.