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Video Analysis Shows Brilliance Of Chelsea Beating Real Madrid's Press

Video Analysis Shows Brilliance Of Chelsea Beating Real Madrid's Press

Real Madrid wanted to press Chelsea's defence high up the pitch but time and time again the Premier League team got round them.

Ryan Sidle

Ryan Sidle

Chelsea's ability to avoid Real Madrid's high press is exactly why they're in a good position to make the Champions League final.

On Tuesday night Thomas Tuchel's side put in an excellent performance in their Champions League semi-final first leg at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano.

Christian Pulisic's first half lead gave the Premier League side the lead and, despite Karim Benzema's equaliser shortly after, they're in an excellent place to make it to the final in Istanbul next month.

Scoreline aside, the Blues were the better side on the night in the Spanish capital and, if it weren't for Timo Werner, might have taken a deserved lead back to Stamford Bridge.

Ahead of that second leg next week, Real are going to have to work out how to press the Premier League side better, as BT Sport's post match analysis showed how good they were at getting around Los Blancos.

Real decided to play a 5-3-2, in order to counter Tuchel's usual prefered formation, but the midfield trio of Casemiro, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos were beaten by N'Golo Kante, Jorginho and Mason Mount in all aspects of the game.

Kante in particular had one of his classic nights where it seemed like there must have been two of him on the pitch.

After the match Chelsea boss Tuchel talked about his side having to adapt to Zinedine Zidane's change in tactics, saying, "We knew they [Real Madrid] finished the last game in a 5-3-2 and there was a possibility they would adapt to the formation.

"Though I thought they would stay in their 4-3-3. We saw the lineup, had a quick talk in the dressing room to slightly change the moments against the ball, like who has to do what. We had to adapt."

Pulisic celebrates his goal. Image: PA Images
Pulisic celebrates his goal. Image: PA Images

Werner, who scored 34 goals in 45 games for RB Leipzig last season, has been in increasingly frustrating form for Chelsea since his £47.5 million move last summer.

His miss from about four yards on Tuesday night, with the game still at 0-0, could have meant Chelsea returning to West London with two away goals.

With just the one away goal, the 2012 Champions League winners can qualify for the final with a 0-0 draw but know any Real goal will need to be cancelled out.

They could have to do that whilst facing Eden Hazard for 90 minutes after the former Blues player returned from injury to play 24 minutes on Tuesday.

Can Chelsea recreate last night's press to equally devastating effect next week?

Featured Image Credit: BT Sport

Topics: Chelsea, Football, Thomas Tuchel, Premier League, Zinedine Zidane, Champions League, Real Madrid, La Liga