‘Special things can happen at Stamford Bridge’: Lampard after Real defeat

Frank Lampard says Chelsea can overcome a 2-0 deficit in the second leg of their Champions League quarterfinal against Real Madrid next week, insisting “special things” can happen on European nights at Stamford Bridge.

Goals by Karim Benzema and substitute Marco Asensio gave reigning champions Real control in the Spanish capital on Wednesday but Chelsea stayed in the tie despite playing for more than half an hour with 10 men.

The Spanish giants could have made the second leg a formality had they been more clinical and Chelsea's interim manager Lampard said Real may live to regret that.

“There were some good things but the result is the reality,” Lampard, who returned to the club last week in the wake of Graham Potter's sacking, told BT Sport.

“But I just said to the players that special things can happen at Stamford Bridge. They are a good team but we have to believe.”

The odds will be heavily stacked against a Chelsea who have gone four games without scoring a goal. Lampard has one week to try to restore some confidence in attack.

“It's been a difficult period for the players and I think there's a bit of a lack of belief,” the club's record goalscorer said. “They have to understand how good they are and what they can do and maybe we're a bit short of that at the moment.

“We have to be much more positive in what we're doing.”

Chelsea created enough chances to suggest they can penetrate Real's defence next week, with Joao Felix, Raheem Sterling and Mason Mount all having clear opportunities.

Real manager Carlo Ancelotti, who won the Premier League and FA Cup double as Chelsea boss in 2009-10, agreed his side still have a lot of work to do.

“It's not easy being on the bench for a match like this but I'm happy,” the Italian said.

“We have to stay calm and understand that though we have an advantage, anything can happen in football and we have to manage our lead well.” 

Comfortable as it may have been for Real, goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois said his teammates were annoyed they had not put the tie to bed.

“Every time you play a big knockout match you're left with the sensation that you could have, should have, killed the tie off,” the former Chelsea keeper said.

“This is a good result but we're bugged that we didn't score a third or even a fourth goal. I hope we don't regret not having added another when we play again next week.”

Chelsea did have chances and Courtois was forced into a superb save to deny Raheem Sterling an equaliser, shortly after Benzema's opener.

“They threatened us with a good start to the match where they counterattacked well. That save I made after we scored was valuable,” the 30-year-old Belgian said.

In Wednesday night's other first leg quarter AC Milan took a big step towards their first Champions League semifinal appearance for 16 years as Ismael Bennacer's goal secured a 1-0 home win over Napoli.

On a rainy night, Serie A leaders Napoli's first European clash with seven-time European champions Milan was also their first appearance in the quarterfinals of Europe's most prestigious club competition.