Champions League: Real Madrid sink Chelsea

Chelsea faces an uphill battle in the Champions League after losing to Real Madrid. Lampard believes they can turn it around but admits it's a big cha

Karim Benzema celebrates after firing Real Madrid in front against Chelsea in the champions league on Wednesday at the Santiago Bernabeu. Real Madrid won 2-0. (Photo credit: @realmadriden)

Chelsea lost at Real Madrid on Wednesday in the first leg of the Champions League, but the cheeky prediction of club co-owner Todd Boehly was the highlight of the day as he emphatically said the Blues would win 3-0.

Frank Lampard fielded his strongest available side with N’golo Kante and Ben Chilwell returning to the side after being rested at the weekend in the 1-0 loss to Wolves, but neither could affect the form of the defending champions.

Ben Chilwell was sent off for a professional foul on Rodrygo when the Real Madrid forward raced through on goal and will now miss the all-important second leg at the Stamford Bridge Stadium, a game Lampard described as the "game of their lives."

Karim Benzema opened the scoring for Real Madrid, and substitute Marco Assensio added the gloss later in the second half. The visitors must be grateful to their goalkeeper, who kept the Los Blancos at bay as they fashioned ten shots on target.

Frank Lampard believes the tie is still quite open and the Blues can overturn the result in the second leg, but he confesses that it would take a "special night" at Stamford Bridge for Chelsea to make it to the semifinals of the tournament.

"I think it's a big challenge, of course, against a team with the quality of Real Madrid," Lampard said. "But the door is open, and it's up to us whether we want to kick it open further next week or not.

"The result is reality. I've just said to the players, Special things can happen at Stamford Bridge.' They are a very good team, but we have to believe."

"There is a lot there for us, as good a team as they are," Lampard said. "There's a little bit of a lack of belief. I think the players have got to understand how good they are and what they can do. There were opportunities to use the size of the pitch more, to be a bit more aggressive -- things we can maybe do next week.

"There was some good in there, with the spirit." "The result is a fact, but next week will be a big fight."