Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane and midfielder Casemiro have admitted that Chelsea deserved to progress through to the final of the Champions League on Wednesday night.
One of the arguments floating around when Chelsea last reached the final of Europe’s elite competition was that they were lucky. On that night, their admittedly unbelievably resolute ten men scraped past Barcelona after the La Liga giants missed a handful of opportunities, including Lionel Messi’s penalty that rattled the crossbar.
A last-gasp second away goal from Fernando Torres - which will live long in fans' memories - secured them qualification that night, but this time around, they looked so much more comfortable and nobody is arguing that they were lucky.
Goals from Timo Werner and Mason Mount condemned Real Madrid to a 2-0 defeat and 3-1 aggregate loss, but if truth be told, it could’ve been more, which is something Madrid manager Zidane and midfielder Casemiro agree on.
Zidane explained post-match: “Chelsea deserved to win. We tried but they deserved it.”
Casemiro tried his best, but there was nothing he could do to stop a relentless Chelsea side, and he took time after the game to congratulate them for making the final, admitting they were the much better team, per Madrid Extra.
He added: "There are no excuses, we are all very sad but Chelsea have been better, they have played better than us. We don't have time to complain because we have a very important game on Sunday. We must congratulate Chelsea because they have been better than us.”
It may not have been as exciting as that night nine years ago, but it was certainly still worth remembering, and Chelsea fans can be proud of such an assured display. The Blues won’t be favourites going into the big game in three weeks’ time, but judging by their semi-final display, they will believe they can win it all.
