Champions League: Rodrygo punishes Chelsea as Real Madrid complete double in London

Real Madrid confidently advanced to the Champions League semi-finals after defeating Chelsea 2-0 on Tuesday, completing a resounding 4-0 aggregate triumph that effectively brought Chelsea's challenging season to a close.

With Frank Lampard returning for a second stint in the dugout, the London club entered the match at Stamford Bridge with both form and history against them.

Despite playing enterprising football and creating opportunities in the first half, Chelsea failed to capitalize on their chances.

In the 58th minute, Rodrygo punished Chelsea's wastefulness by scoring the opening goal for the Spanish giants. He then doubled his tally with just ten minutes remaining, sealing the victory for Real Madrid.

Since Lampard's return as caretaker manager earlier this month, Chelsea, the 2021 European champions, have lost all four of their matches. He took over after the sacking of Graham Potter.

Real Madrid's Carlo Ancelotti stuck with the same lineup that secured a 2-0 victory in the first leg, while Lampard made changes, bringing Reece James, Mateo Kovacic, and N'Golo Kante back into the starting eleven.

Chelsea had multiple chances to take the lead but failed to convert, and Real Madrid gradually gained control of the match. After Rodrygo's opener, Lampard made several attacking substitutions in an attempt to salvage the game, but Rodrygo's second goal in the 80th minute dashed any hope of a comeback.

Real Madrid is now set to face Manchester City in the semi-finals, as Pep Guardiola's side holds a 3-0 advantage over Bayern Munich after the first leg of their quarter-final tie.

Meanwhile, Chelsea faces a bleak end to a disastrous season, despite spending over £500 million ($621 million) during the club's first year under new ownership.

Having already been eliminated from both domestic cups and sitting in 11th place in the Premier League, they are unlikely to qualify for European football next season.