Like the rest of the world, Chelsea fans will have been transfixed to their screen as Real Madrid made the Champions League their playground once again last night.
Whenever Los Blancos look dead and buried in the competition, they always seem to find another lifeline.
What happened between Madrid and PSG?
Heading into yesterday’s game with Paris Saint-Germain, Madrid needed to score at least twice without reply to secure a quarter-final ticket.
Kylian Mbappe’s late strike in the reverse fixture last month gave Mauricio Pochettino’s side the slim but significant advantage ahead of the second leg.
The stage was set; the storylines poised; the stars aligned for another terrific European evening.
Thankfully, the two teams did not disappoint the neutral.
PSG took another giant step towards victory when Mbappe slotted past Thibaut Courtois just before the interval.
Madrid had already been warned by the player they are desperate to sign, with the Frenchman’s earlier effort ruled out for offside by VAR.
But Parisian delight soon turned into despair.
Whatever Carlo Ancelotti told his troops at half-time, it worked wonders.
Karim Benzema’s 17-minute hattrick ensured the Spanish side safe passage to the next round, leaving their guests crumpled in a state of disbelief.
Whilst Benzema rightly stole all the headlines, his supporting cast deserve credit for playing their part in the comeback.
Luka Modric’s piercing run and precise pass set up Madrid’s captain for the second, whilst Vinicius Jnr was involved in all three of the goals.
David delight
Ancelotti’s defence also stood firm in the second period, limiting the likes of Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Neymar.
Of those keeping out PSG’s luxury front line, two have a connection to Chelsea.
Courtois needs no introduction, but another man might require a little tee-up.
David Alaba performed pretty steadily on Wednesday, with one terrific challenge on Mbappe the standout of his display.
Had the Stamford Bridge hierarchy moved a little differently last year, Alaba could’ve easily been showing the same tricks in a blue kit.
According to the Sun, Chelsea tried to lure the 29-year-old away from Bayern Munich but eventually gave up the chase.
Instead, he joined Madrid once his Bayern contract expired.
Perhaps we will meet in the latter levels of the Champions League, David, and then we’ll see if your decision was the right one!
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