Carlo Ancelotti could afford to support the Chelsea game, his 35th Champions League win under Real Madrid. Photo: Getty Images/Florencia Tan Jan
Real Madrid: champions of the oppressed? This title does not fit with their club history, but perhaps this is their new reality in the fast-paced world of European football. In the great battle against the dominance of English teams, it is Real Madrid who are leading the resistance on the continent. In many ways, they are resistance.
Premier League clubs can take the best players in the world and they can take more money than any of their counterparts in Europe. But they can't seem to replace Real Madrid as the dominant force in the Champions League and this latest blow from the English side was another reminder that their crown won't be easy to capture.
When the agile and resourceful Chelsea defeated an aging Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals in 2021, it seemed like the era of Spanish club dominance was over. After all, there was money in the Premier League and Real Madrid needed a refresh.
Instead, they came back better and stronger, with many of the same 30 year olds on their team. After that defeat to Chelsea, Real Madrid met Chelsea again, twice with Manchester City and Liverpool.
They have triumphed on each of those occasions and few will bet against them, completing this demolition of Frank Lampard's Chelsea at Stamford Bridge when they meet again next week.
What is so special about Real Madrid that makes them so formidable against Premier League rivals? Well, it helps that Karim Benzema has turned into a one-man smasher against the English defence, with each of the Frenchman's last 11 Champions League goals scored against Premier League teams.
Only Lionel Messi has scored more goals against English teams in Europe's main tournament.
Karim Benzema has scored 20 goals against English clubs . in the Champions League. Photo: Reuters/Juan Medina
That's not all, however, and watching Real Madrid go to victory over Chelsea was to see a team that operated on a different level of intelligence and sophistication. Tactically better, physically and mentally sharper: they dominated those three main areas of the game.
Tactically, right-back Dani Carvajal caused havoc at Chelsea as he moved up the field, while left-back Eduardo Camavinga moved into midfield. The physically sensational Vinicius Junior threw himself at the Chelsea defenders again and again, never stopping and certainly never slowing down. Wesley Fofana, a £70m defender, was confused by the Brazilian's pace. The same can be said for Mark Cucurella, the £60m defender against Rodrigo.
And mentally, there was a know-how in Madrid's game that Chelsea lacked. Especially in the center of the field, where Luka Modric dragged opponents where they did not want to go, and Federico Valverde was looking for positions from which he could inflict maximum damage.
Vinicius Junior (right) was so explosive from the left that he gave Chelsea endless problems. Photo: Getty Images/Quality Sports images
This summed up the versatility of Carlo Ancelotti's side in that, after a shaky first minute, they simply set up the system and eliminated Chelsea's attacking threat. “We are happy with the result,” Ancelotti said. And for the performance.
The Premier League currently has 11 of the 20 highest-earning clubs in the world, according to the latest Deloitte Football Money League analysis. Such numbers are, of course, one of the main reasons for the European Super League aspirations, and Real Madrid continues to beat this drum loudly.
Perhaps a reflection of their fear of what might happen, they currently continue to resist the rise of the Premier League. Bayern Munich may have considered themselves capable of joining the uprising until they clumsily stood in the way of Manchester City on Tuesday night.
It seems once again that Real Madrid should represent a non-Premier League contingent in this competition, although Italian clubs may be angry at the proposal.
One thing is clear: Real Madrid and Ancelotti the same number of English teams they have faced in the past two seasons. They've been there and done it before, and they're still there and doing it now.
A reflection of their dominance is that Chelsea will be thankful for only scoring two goals when in reality things could have been a lot worse. This is what Real Madrid are doing with Premier League clubs, and this is what they look like they will continue to do as the pitch continues to fall from under their feet.
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