UEFA YOUTH LEAGUE
Real Madrid 2-4 Chelsea match report: UEFA Youth League
10-man Chelsea held on in the drenching rain at the Di Stéfano stadium to dump Real Madrid out of the Uefa Youth League.
Real Madrid 2-4 Chelsea
Under leaden Spanish skies, which by the end of the match had opened in an authentic cloudburst, Guti's Real Madrid side came up short against the Kings of the Youth League, Chelsea, who have already won two of the four editions held. Madrid will feel they should have forced extra-time, playing against 10 men for 20 minutes, needing just one goal, but despite having several chances, they spurned them all. And, desperately trying to get the equaliser at the death, they were caught unawares at the back to make the scoreline even more flattering for the visitors, when keeper Moha tried to jink his way past Scottish lad St.Clair, who neatly picked his pocket and walked the ball over the line.
It had all started so brightly for Real Madrid when Óscar stroked a pearler of a free-kick home to give the home side the lead in the 6th minute. Watch him, he's probably the finest young striker of a dead ball in Europe right now, with pace and accuracy on almost every free-kick he hits.
But Chelsea were level soon after, the physically imposing Redan winning a ferocious tussle on the edge of the box before feeding McCormick, who slotted home neatly. And luck was on Chelsea's side five minutes later, when Redan threw himself at a cross and bundled the ball home with his arm, with the referee, unsighted, deciding it must have come off his chest. 1-2 for Chelsea and Real Madrid's composure beginning to come undone at the injustice of the goal.
Chelsea landed another hammer blow on Madrid right on the half-time whistle when Redan met a cross with a wonderfully deft touch to send the ball out of Moha's reach and into the corner.
In the second half Guti brought on Ismael and he pulled a goal back for the home side after 13 minutes on the pitch, following in intelligently to a screamer from Baeza Pérez which came back off the crossbar allowing him to nod home. 2-3 and Real Madrid now clearly felt they could push on to get the leveller, a belief that grew when Maddox, trying to dance his way through the midfield, lost the ball and in his frustration went in late and nasty on Alberto's ankle. Straight red card.
But Real Madrid failed to capitalise and the final goal of the game was a sucker-punch from Chelsea who go on to face Porto in the semi-final.