Werner and Mount goals put Blues into third Champions League final after 2-0 win over Real Madrid

By Paul Lagan

Chelsea 2 v Real Madrid 0 (3-1)

Timo Werner and Mason Mount have propelled Chelsea into the Champions League final after scoring the goals that overcame a dour Real Madrid 2-0 at Stamford Bridge tonight.

Having drawn 1-1 in Madrid last week, the west Londoners could and should have won by a greater margin such was their dominance.

But it wasn’t until the 85th minute when Mount smashed home the second, did the Chelsea faithful take a deep breath then shout out a collective roar of delight.

The final will be in Istanbul on the 29th where they will face Manchester City.

The Spaniards were a disappointment, two ex-Chelsea players, goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois kept his side in the match with a host of fine saves, while Eden Hazard, clearly not fit, was a peripheral figure.

The first effort on goal came from the Blues on 12 minutes when Courtois made a double save, the first, a long-range effort from Toni Rudiger and, that was quickly followed by an effort from Mount which he hacked away from his near post by his legs.

Luka Modric had a goal-bound effort on 18 minutes, but Edouard Mendy got his body behind it.

Then on 19 minutes Timo Werner slotted home from a Ben Chilwell drive on the left, but the German was offside.

There was a degree of naivety about his run, all he had to do was take a quick look along the line and adjust his angle.

But Madrid produced a fine passage of play on 26 minutes when Karim Benzema, on the edge of the Chelsea penalty used Thiago Silva as a shield and bent a wonderful right-footer on target. But Mendy, acrobatically dived to his left to tip the ball around his left post.

Then the Blues struck - inspired by N’Golo Kante, the ball fell to Kai Havertz who chipped out-running Courtois.

The ball bounced off the crossbar and up popped Werner with the easiest of chances to nod home, unchallenged from a yard out.

[caption id="attachment_142012" align="alignnone" width="3858"]Chelsea's Timo Werner scores their side's first goal of the game during the UEFA Champions League Semi Final second leg match at Stamford Bridge, London. Picture date: Wednesday May 5, 2021.[/caption]

Mendy then produced another wonder save, tipping over Benzema’s powerful header as the visitors, cool with their short passing worked the ball to the striker who found space between Silva and Rudiger.

There were no changes by either side at half-time.

Within seconds of the restart Havertz rose unchallenged and clattered the crossbar which went for a goal-kick after an excellent right wing cross by Cesar Azpilicueta.

This was followed by Silva heading over from the goal from a Ben Chilwell free-kick on the left.

The third of the great chances fell to Mount who picked up a clipped header from Werner, but the midfielder hooked his ball over Courtois but also over the crossbar.

Courtois was then in the perfect position to prevent Havertz from slotting home on 60 minutes.

The German saw his shot, deflected way from goal by the outstretched right leg of the Spain stopper.

That let-off allowed Madrid to regroup again and Mendy had to be alert to kick way an angled effort by Mendy.

Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel then replaced Werner on 68 minutes - Christian Pulisic came on.

A glancing header by Silva zipped past Courtois’s far post after 74 minutes. It was a brilliant corner by Mount and a well-timed run by the Brazil defender. Havertz then failed to latch onto a drive by Pulisic as the Blues missed the latest of a clutch of chances on 78 minutes.

But with eight minutes left on the clock, Kante got free, passed the ball out to the right to Pulisic.

The US winger held the ball up, waited for Mount to race in and dropped the ball onto his foot and he rattled it into the back of the net to make it 2-0 and 3-1 on aggregate.

That was it, the Blues expertly saw out the remaining minutes.

They will play in a dress rehearsal of the final on Saturday, when the Londoners will travel to The Etihad Stadium to face Manchester City in the Premier League.

Teams: Chelsea Mendy, Christensen, Azpilicueta, Rudiger, Silva, Chilwell, Mount, Jorginho, Kante, Havertz, Werner

Subs: Kepa, Alonso, Abraham, Pulisic, Caballero, Zouma, Giroud, Hudson-Odoi, Ziyech, Gilmour, James, Emerson

Real Madrid: Courtois, Militao, Ramos, Nacho, Mendy, Casemiro, Kroos, Vinicius, Modric, Hazard, Benzema

Subs: Asensio, Marcelo, Lenin, Valverde, Odriozola, Isco, Mariano, Rodrigo, Altube, Arribas, Blanco, Gutierrez

Referee: Daniele Orsato