MATCHDAY LIVE - UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMI-FINAL FIRST LEG: REAL MADRID VS CHELSEA

Join Sam Matthews Boehmer for live updates as these two European heavyweights go head-to-head for a place in the Champions League final. Can the underdogs Chelsea pull off an upset?

Full-time

And there you have it! A great first half that Chelsea dominated, leading through a Pulisic goal before Benzema pulled one back against the run of play.

The second half was less exciting, with few chances of note, but this is a great result for Chelsea heading into the second leg. After tonight's showing, they are surely the favourites.

Thank you all for joining me tonight!


88' A long range shot from Kroos takes a couple of deflections and creeps just wide of the post. Varane just heads it wide from the resulting corner.

Having looked comfortable Chelsea are hanging on!


87' This game is slowly petering out as we head into the last few minutes. What a result this would be for Chelsea!


Ziyech free-kick is saved

80' Hakim Ziyech has a free kick in what looks to be the perfect position, but fires it straight at Courtois.


77' A goal mouth scramble in the Chelsea penalty area comes to nothing, but highlights once again the quality that Real Madrid have. Chelsea cannot lose concentration.

Odriozola and Asensio are on as Real move to a back four.


Can Chelsea find a winner?

73' Following on from the substitutions, and the energy that they have brung, Chelsea have started to dominate once again, searching for that second away goal.

Ziyech plays a lovely ball across the 6-yard box, but it just bypasses Havertz.


Substitutions for both sides

67' Ex-Chelsea man Hazard is coming on for Real Madrid, replacing Vinicius, and Ziyech, Reece James and Kai Havertz are on for Chelsea, replacing Werner (thank God), goalscorer Pulisic and Azpilicueta.

These players are difference makers- lets hope they add a bit of energy and spark into a game that has petered out slightly in recent minutes, with few chances of note.


Glenn Hoddle's co-commentary frustrates me. He says very little of any note game on game, but is always chosen by BT Sport for these massive games. The bias towards the English teams is insufferable.


Real Madrid's confidence builds

56' Real are steadily passing their way back into this game and finding Benzema in space on the break.

Chelsea need to up their press and force them back as they did in the first half.


Antonio Rudiger has really impressed me tonight. Strong in the defence and playing some impressive, raking balls forward.

After his fall-out with Frank Lampard he is proving how good a player he is.


Werner chance

49' The second half has started as the first ended, with Chelsea on top. Timo Werner finds himself in a bit of space but can only hit it into the defender in front of him. Corner.


Second half kick-off!

Here we go! We can but hope there is as much excitement as in the first half.

Chelsea deserve to be ahead, but have to take their chances if they are to win this game. Madrid aren't changing their three-at-the-back formation which has left them vulnerable, could that be a mistake?


Here's Benzema goal: a great finish from the man who seems to get better and better with age.


Half-time: 1-1

What a game this has been so far, although it petered out towards the end.

Chelsea dominated the opening but Real Madrid have grown into the game and are a constant threat on the counter.

Chelsea should win based off the current state of play, but Real Madrid are Real Madrid- I'm still backing them at the moment.


A monsoon in Madrid

I thought Madrid was known for it's beautiful weather, and yet the rain is pouring down. It will have to stop soon or this game may have to be halted.


Chelsea begin to dominate once again

37' Chelsea are keeping the ball very well once again, and are finding a lot of space between Real's defence and midfield.

Pulisic hits a cross just over the head of Timo Werner, not that he would have scored.


Goal Madrid- Benzema equalises.

29' Out of nowhere, Real have equalised. A short corner is flicked on by Casemiro, controlled, and thumped into the back of the net by Karim Benzema, who scores his 28th goal of the season.

What a game this has been so far! Chelsea have been the better team, but Real Madrid will always carry a threat with Benzema in the team.


Benzema hits the post

22' In a rare attack for Real Madrid, Benzema takes a pot-shot from the edge of the area, and strikes the outside of the right-hand post!

This game is becoming increasingly open.


Here's that Pulisic goal.

A superb pass by Rudiger and an expert finish from Pulisic.


1-0 Chelsea!!!!

15' A fantastic ball by Rudiger, who plays in Pulisic, who rounds Courtois and finishes!

Chelsea have made a fantastic start to this game, and it has been coming.


Werner chance!

8' Werner has to score! After a great run by Mount, Pulisic lays it off to Werner who fires it straight at Courtois.

Could this come back to haunt Chelsea?


A cagey opening

5' Both sides are enjoying good spells of possession but are not breaking through each teams' respective back three.

Timo Werner breaks through but, as has happened a lot this season, his pass is overhit.


Kick-off!


The teams are out!

I must admit this all feels quite strange, and has done throughout the tournament, as the two teams walk out to an empty Estadio Alfredo di Stefano.

This has the atmosphere of an U23s game, not a European semi-final.


You predict:

Chelsea are the favourites according to our Twitter poll, with 58% of the vote. This may be some English bias but, as the cliché goes, anything can happen in football.

Tuchel: Ziyech could have started

Thomas Tuchel has admitted that Hakim Ziyech should have started considering his recent performances.

Then why not start him Thomas?


Is Zidane underappreciated?

I must say that I've been a bit of a Zidane sceptic in the past. His tactical qualities are in doubt, but there can be no doubt that he is an incredible man manager, and that could be telling tonight.

He can get his players up for a big game.


Are Chelsea favourites?

Steve McManaman sees Chelsea as the favourites for this tie given Real's recent form, while Joe Cole believes the battle could be won in the midfield.

Kante and Jorginho against Kroos, Modric and Casemiro could be quite some match-up.


Should Ziyech have started?

Most of the debate surrounding Chelsea's starting line-up is on whether Reece James should have started ahead of Azpilicueta, but why is Hakim Ziyech not starting?

He has scored massive goals against City and Atletico, so why not play him against Real Madrid? He is starting to approach the form he showed in the last few seasons at Ajax.


The Real Madrid XI

Hazard starts on the bench but Chelsea will still have to watch out for Vinicius Junior, who scored two against Liverpool and could be a difference maker tonight:


The Chelsea team news is in!

A controversial decision by Thomas Tuchel, as he leaves out Reece James for the more defensively-minded Cesar Azpilicueta


Stay tuned for the team news, which will be announced in around an hour.

Could Eden Hazard be making an appearance against his former team? Will Sergio Ramos' absence be defining?


Zinedine Zidane, meanwhile, was supremely confident, saying that "it is absurd to think we could not be in the Champions League".

There can be no doubt that Real have an aura about them when it comes to the Champions League, but this team is undoubtedly weaker than the one that took them to 4 titles in 5 seasons across the last 10 years.


Some pre-match quotes from the two managers:

Thomas Tuchel took the abstract approach in his pre-match press conference, stating:

"We deserve to be in the semi-final, just like Real Madrid,"

"And we don't deserve it because of political decisions, or influence, or size, or nice shirts: we deserve it because we came a long way."

Slightly paranoid there Thomas - I don't think anyone was necessarily saying you were here because of 'political decisions' (is Boris Johnson a Chelsea fan?).

Many didn't expect Chelsea to get this far, but in beating Atletico Madrid and Porto, they certainly deserve their place.


Real Madrid vs Chelsea

Welcome to this live blog, brought to you by The Boar Sport. I will be providing you with updates throughout the night as these two giants of European football face-off for the chance to become potential Champions of Europe.

Real Madrid are perhaps the slight favourites heading into the match, but Chelsea will feel, following their recent upturn in form with the arrival of Thomas Tuchel, that they can pull off an upset.

If you want to interact with the blog, please tweet @BoarSport or @BoehmerSam to get involved!