Madrid ´bugged´ by inability to rout Chelsea in Champions League, admits Courtois

Thibaut Courtois acknowledged Real Madrid were left “bugged” by their inability to put Chelsea to the sword in their Champions League victory.

Los Blancos notched a 2-0 victory over the Blues in the first leg of their quarter-final clash at the Santiago Bernabeu, with goals for Karim Benzema and Marco Asensio.

Yet despite a man advantage for the final third of the game after Ben Chilwell was dismissed for a professional foul on Rodrygo, Madrid failed to make their pressure tell.

Speaking afterwards, former Chelsea goalkeeper Courtois voiced his frustration that his team were unable to inflict more damage ahead of next week’s return leg.

“Every time you play a big knockout match, you’re left with the sensation that you could have, should have, killed the tie off,” he said, as quoted by UEFA.com.

“Chelsea nearly scored right, at the end. This is a good result, but we’re bugged by the fact that we didn’t score a third or even a fourth goal.

Goal celebration or interpretative dance?#UCL pic.twitter.com/4DyhTSxMGE

— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadriden) April 12, 2023

“I hope we don’t regret not having added another when we play again next week.”

Carlo Ancelotti’s hosts were mostly dominant on home turf against Frank Lampard’s Blues, who struggled to impose themselves upon the game for long periods.

Yet with Benzema, Luka Modric and Rodrygo among those to spurn chances across the game, Courtois’ fear of a comeback in London may not be unfounded.

In his post-match comments to BT Sport, Lampard spoke about looking to channel the “special nights” he enjoyed at Stamford Bridge as a player for the second leg.

Madrid themselves are no stranger to a comeback too though, having defied several poor first-leg performances in last year’s Champions League to eventually win the title.