UCL: Why Real Madrid beat us – Chelsea manager, Thomas Tuchel

 

Chelsea manager, Thomas Tuchel has said that Real Madrid defeated his team 3-1 in the Champions League quarter-final first-leg tie on Wednesday because his players performed far below standards during the first half.

Tuchel said Chelsea was open defensively against Real Madrid during the encounter at Stamford Bridge.

He said this during his pre-match press conference after the game.

Karim Benzema’s hat-trick ensured Real Madrid defeated Chelsea as Kai Havertz’s strike was not enough for Tuchel’s men.

Speaking to BT Sport after the game, Tuchel said: “It’s a heavy loss. It was one of the worst first halves that I have seen from us at Stamford Bridge.

“At this kind of level, you cannot play like this. We were far, far, far from our standards, and when that happens, you lose games.

“It’s not just that we were so open defensively. It was everything – when we pass, how we pass, where we pass, the intensity of challenges, the desire, how we close spaces. The first half was so far from any standards that we set ourselves, so we cannot complain.”