Rio Ferdinand: Real Madrid should have scored more than two goals against Chelsea - 'There for the taking'
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ByEurosport
Updated 13/04/2023 at 11:45 GMT
Rio Ferdinand thinks Real Madrid will be "disappointed" to only beat Chelsea 2-0 in the Champions League quarter-final first-leg clash at the Santiago Bernabeu. Chelsea were reduced to 10 men when Ben Chilwell received a red card before the hour mark and Ferdinand thinks it was then that Real could have been more clinical and extended their lead further in the tie.
'We have to believe' - Lampard after defeat in Madrid
Rio Ferdinand says Chelsea "were there for the taking" and Real Madrid will not be happy to have only won the first leg 2-0 in their Champions League quarter-final tie.
Goals from Karim Benzema and Marco Asensio, either side of a Ben Chilwell red card, have given Real a commanding lead ahead of the second leg.
Former Man Utd and England defender Ferdinand believes Chelsea were "let off at times" by the defending champions and thinks the hosts should have added to Asensio's strike with their man advantage.
"They will be disappointed in Real Madrid's dressing room," the BT Sport pundit said.
"Yes they'll be happy they won the game, but tomorrow they'll wake up and think 'we could have finished this game and punished this team'.
"They were there for the taking. I thought Chelsea dug in but they were let off a little bit at times. Lacklustre finishing, the final ball and decision making by Real Madrid in the second half might not have been there for them.
"I think Frank [Lampard] needs to rally around this team now and tell his players this game isn't over.
"If you get an early goal at Stamford Bridge, the atmosphere is electric when that happens in these types of games so bring the belief. Yes you lost 2-0 but the tie is still in the balance."
Frank Lampard has now overseen two losses since taking over as interim boss last week. Chelsea next host Brighton on Saturday before the second leg against Real at Stamford Bridge on April 18.
Glenn Hoddle thinks Chelsea's performance in the Brighton match could be pivotal for their preparation for the second leg.
"They've got to win the game at the weekend," he said on BT Sport.
"Frank will have a win under his belt, but it's not an easy game they're playing Brighton. But if they get that win and get that momentum going for the second leg...if they don't then the energy just drops."
Chelsea are now goalless in their last four matches, which is the first time they have gone this long without scoring since 1993.
Joe Cole thinks Chelsea's forwards are lacking confidence and that Lampard needs to find a way to raise their spirits if they are to stand a chance of coming back in the tie.
"The hardest thing as a manager is to give confidence to your players," he said.
"You've got to stand in front of them and say 'I can't give you confidence, only wins can do that'. He's got to say 'I believe in you'.
"You look at the players they've got and so many of them are playing low on confidence. Raheem Sterling, Joao Felix, Kai Havertz.
"They've played in big moments and won multiple trophies between them. But you have to give them some kind of belief."
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