CHELSEA manager Frank Lampard believes his side are still on course for the UEFA Champions League semi-finals despite their defeat to Real Madrid last night.
The Blues were beaten 2-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu last night in the first leg of the quarter-final tie between the competition’s last two winners.
Karim Benzema, scoring his 20th goal against English sides in the competition, and substitute Marco Asensio earned Real Madrid the first-leg advantage as they chase a repeat of last year’s triumph.
The hosts were dominant and should have punished Chelsea further after the visitors were reduced to 10 men following the sending off of Ben Chilwell.
Although Chelsea have not scored in their last four games — their longest run of blanks since 1993 — Lampard feels the two-goal margin is not insurmountable.
“There are some good things but the result is the reality,” Lampard, who was a player in the Chelsea squad that overturned a 3-1 first leg deficit against Napoli in 2012, told BT Sport.
“I just said to the players, ‘special things can happen at Stamford Bridge’. They’re a very good team but we have to believe.
“I’m proud of the 10 men. I don’t think they carved us open at 10 men. That was due to spirit.”
The return leg is on Tuesday, with the winners on aggregate to face either Bayern Munich or Manchester City in the semi-finals.
