Despite a 2-0 first-leg loss to Real Madrid in the Champions League, Frank Lampard maintains the ‘door is open’ for Chelsea FC to advance.
Chelsea FC were defeated 2-0 by Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday night, prompting Frank Lampard to challenge the club to create another’special’ night at Stamford Bridge.
After leaving the Santiago Bernabeu with two goals down, the interim manager urged his players to ‘kick open’ the door, which remains ajar.
Chelsea FC have a mountain to climb ahead of the second leg next week after goals from Karim Benzema and Marco Asensio, each side of a red card for Ben Chilwell.
But Frank Lampard insisted he must be the ‘first one’ to believe they can upset the odds.
‘Special things can happen at Stamford Bridge. We have to believe,’ he said.
The door is open and it’s up to us whether we want to kick it open further or not.’
On the hour mark, Ben Chilwell was dismissed for fouling Rodrygo as the forward raced toward goal.
Raheem Sterling was earlier denied by a brilliant save from Thibaut Courtois, just after Joao Felix missed another opportunity.
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Mason Mount appeared to be on his way to scoring late in the game, but Antonio Rudiger made a great block to stop his former team.
‘The result is the reality,’ Lampard added. ‘(But) there is a lot there for us, as good a team as they are. There’s a bit of a lack of belief. The players don’t know how good they are… next week will be a big fight.’
Chelsea have now failed to score in four successive matches in all competitions for the first time since 1993.
‘I am very happy but we have to be calm because there is another 90 minutes and in football anything can happen,’ Real boss Carlo Ancelotti said. ‘We know we have to suffer again because Chelsea are a very good team with very good players… they will try to put everything into next week.’
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