Real Madrid cruise past Chelsea to reach semifinals

Real Madrid beat Chelsea 2-0 to reach the Champions League semifinals. Chelsea faces uncertain times under Frank Lampard's leadership.

Rodrygo scored twice to heap a 4-0 aggregate loss on Chelsea at the Stamford Bridge Stadium on Tuesday night in the champions league. (Photo credit: Sporting News)

Real Madrid will appear in the semifinals of the Champions League for the 11th time in the last 13 editions, ridiculous numbers to say the least for the Los Blancos, who will now play the winner of the cracker between Bayern Munich and Manchester City.

Chelsea’s fate was sealed as early as last week when the Blues lost at the Santiago Bernabeu.

But Frank Lampard and the club hierarchy believed in the boys and hoped for a miracle.

That didn’t happen, and they just have to ask themselves what next is.

How did it play out?

Chelsea rested a couple of players over the weekend, and you’d be surprised that a certain Kai Havertz was one of them.

Only Frank Lampard knows why, but Real Madrid made light work of the Blues.

Rodrygo scored twice to hand Chelsea yet another defeat, the fourth consecutive defeat of Lampard’s reign.

And if fans weren’t worried before, it’s a good time for them to consider their expectations going forward, with Chelsea now certain to miss the Champions League next season.

11th on the Premier League log, with gameplay showing no signs of improvement, especially with surrounding teams picking up points here and there.

11 points off the top six positions with just seven to play offers zero confidence.

But Frank Lampard believes the club will bounce back.

"The motivation has to be playing for Chelsea," Lampard said. "There are some players who are maybe quite new here; they are getting used to the club, and that isn't easy.

Sometimes, as we've seen with some of the greatest players in the Premier League when they first arrive, they need some time.

Sometimes they go into teams that are flying, and they get put in, they find their feet, and you see them fly.

"So maybe there are reasons with some of our players where there is a bit of transition. But in terms of motivation, you are playing for Chelsea. There are individual motivations all throughout the squad and as a collective, and we have to be competitive in everything we do every day."