Real Madrid, defending champion, dismissed Chelsea (2-0, as in the first leg) to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League, a level that AC Milan finds after sixteen years of absence thanks to its 1-1 draw in Naples on Tuesday (1-0 first leg).
In the last four, a shock looms between Real Karim Benzema and Manchester City, imperial against Bayern (3-0) before the return, Wednesday in Munich. And a Milan derby is taking shape if Inter are not surprised by Benfica (2-0 in the first leg) at San Siro.
AC Milan has fulfilled its part of the contract, in the meantime, after keeping a cool head in the volcanic Diego-Maradona stadium in Naples, hosting a C1 quarter-final for the first time in its history.
The Red and Blacks suffered from the start, as if suffocated by Napoli’s pressing, but they were able to turn their backs and proceed on the counter, before finding the fault through Olivier Giroud (43rd, 1-0).
The name of the Frenchman appears on the scoreboard, for the fifth time this season in the Champions League, but his goal bears the seal of Rafael Leão, decisive passer after a superb solitary raid launched from his own camp.
The young Portuguese striker obtained a penalty earlier, missed by Giroud (22nd) in front of Alex Meret, the Neapolitan goalkeeper also author of a saving save in front of “Olive”, with the leg (28th).
Naples also spoiled a penalty by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (82nd). Or, rather: expert French keeper Mike Maignan stopped him.
The fervor of the tifosi was not enough for Napoli, nor the return of star striker Victor Osimhen, package in the first leg, scorer at the very end of the match (90th 3), in vain.
The Azzurri, deprived of suspended André Franck Anguissa and Kim Min-jae, also had bad luck with the injuries of Mario Rui and Matteo Politano in the first half.
AC Milan, fourth in Serie A ahead of Inter, returns to the semi-finals of the major European Cup for the first time since 2007, the year of its last title.
For Real Madrid, the most successful club in the competition (14 titles), it’s a habit. The “White House” reached the last four for the third time in a row, for the eleventh time since the 2010/11 season.
The defending champion, jostled at Stamford Bridge, managed to knock out the English club with a fatal double from Rodrygo (58th, 80th), reproducing the score of the first leg at the Bernabeu.
The “Blues”, in crisis, could have made the Spaniards doubt but neither N’Golo Kanté, with his missed left recovery (11th), nor Marc Cucurella, with his point-blank shot repelled by Thibaut Courtois (45th 1), did not find the fault.
For Chelsea, crowned in 2021, it is the last ray of sunshine of a failed season which disappeared on Tuesday. The fourth defeat since the return of Frank Lampard to the bench sounds like a resounding failure for the American owners, ultra-spenders but out of the C1 and far from European places in the championship.
