Champions League

MASON MOUNT says Chelsea should have scored FIVE as they beat Real Madrid 2-0 on the night to reach the Champions League final.Blues academy graduate Mount scored the second to send his team through with a 3-1 aggregate win and Chelsea icon Joe Cole heaped praise on the midfielder after the game.
Mason Mount reckons Chelsea should have scored far more than they did against Real MadridCredit: Enterprise
Mason Mount! 💥After so many wasted opportunities, Chelsea FINALLY have their second goal of the night!They’re so close to Istanbul now! 🙏 pic.twitter.com/U6skxXPCMv— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) May 5, 2021

Timo Werner scored the first at Stamford Bridge but the West Londoners had a stack of chances on the night and should really have made it more comfortable.
Kai Havertz hit the bar, Mount himself blasted over when through on goal and Christian Pulisic dragged one wide.
And Mount – who has been at Chelsea since he was six – said the Blues should have converted more of their chances.
He told BT Sport after the game: “I can’t put into words. Great performance tonight. It was a tough, tough game. They’re going to come and give it everything but we worked hard.
“We should’ve probably had about five. But the most important thing is we won tonight. We want to go into every game winning it.
“It was 1-0 but that really didn’t matter because if they score, they were back in the game. To get that one late on, you can see by the celebrations, it was a massive goal for us and gave us breathing space in the last five minutes.
“We gave everything and we had that desire to win first half. We had a couple of opportunities where we won the ball and should’ve scored but we got the one late on and it’s great.
“We haven’t won nothing yet. Hopefully we’ve got two massive cup finals and hopefully we can win.”
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And Blues icon Joe Cole was chuffed for the midfielder who scored the winnerCredit: Getty

After Mount’s interview, Blues icon Cole was absolutely delighted for the academy graduate.
He said: “In a couple of weeks where we’ve seen the ugly side of football, and then for Mason Mount to score the winning goal…
“He’s been at Chelsea since he was a kid.
“He’s seen this club win trophies and lose trophies and he would have sat in these stands.
“So for him to have been the player to put the finishing touches on what was a top drawer performance…
“For Mason to do that, that shows me that the romance is still in football.”
Chelsea will face Manchester City in the final after Pep Guardiola’s side beat Paris Saint-Germain 4-1 on aggregate in their semi.
And the game WILL take place in Istanbul despite Turkey’s Covid crisis with up to 4,000 tickets to be made available to fans of each team.
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EVEN TIMO WERNER could not miss that one.And from barely a yard out, the erratic German who has endured the most testing of introductions to English football, took another step along the road to becoming a cult hero at Chelsea.
Timo Werner rises to the occasion for the Chelsea opener in a 2-0 win over Real Madrid and 3-01 triumph on aggregateCredit: The Sun
Timo Werner gets a lift from late sub Reece James as Chelsea celebrate earning a Champions League final with Man CityCredit: The Sun
Boss Thomas Tuchel has been rewarded for his patience with striker Timo WernerCredit: AP
Luckily for Werner, it is impossible to be offside when the ball comes crashing back off the crossbar and finds you unmarked, with a gaping goal stretching wide before you like a panoramic view of the Grand Canyon.
Bread and butter for almost any striker from pub level up but then Werner is no ordinary striker.
By the time he nodded Chelsea ahead against Real Madrid on 28 minutes he had already been caught offside once which cost him a goal.
It was a similar situation ten days ago, when he got the wrong side of West Ham’s defence just at the wrong time and it cost his team an early lead before they ultimately went onto win.
Just last week, he missed a sitter from two yards by punting the ball straight at Thibaut Courtois when clean through on goal.
Rewind to Fulham away back in January and after coming off the bench, Werner was one-on-one with the keeper but sliced his shot like a duffer on the golf course.
He has looked nervous, shot of confidence and too eager at times to impose himself on the Premier League following his £47million move from Red Bull Leipzig.
Werner has been falling over his own feet at times this season, yet somehow he is bumbling his way into the grain at Stamford Bridge.
The nippy forward who could run county level times for the 100 metres dash at 15 years old, has been in too much of a hurry to become a key component of a new era at Chelsea.
Like a teenager growing too fast, Werner has been falling over his own feet at times this season, yet somehow he is bumbling his way into the grain at Stamford Bridge and repaying the admirable patience of his boss Thomas Tuchel for sticking with him for so long.
Quite how, it is entirely possible that nobody on earth knows because even after his fourth Champions League goal of the season put Chelsea well in command, Werner still raises more questions than he answers.
Last Saturday at home to Fulham, Werner was on occasion a hindrance to his fellow forwards. Off the pace and too hasty when all he needed to do was put his foot on the ball for a second or two.
He did that with a cushioned pass that set up his German team-mate Kai Havertz for the second goal in the second half which secured three Premier League points last weekend. 
Tuchel has been determined to keep faith with ‘Turbo’ when most people taking a view from distance have been crying out for him to be as ruthless with his unpredictable forward as he has been with other players.
Chelsea lead! 🙌A beautiful one-two in the build-up, before Havertz goes so close to scoring a delicious chip… But Timo Werner is on hand to score the rebound from close range! pic.twitter.com/MWGVcseVul— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) May 5, 2021

Tammy Abraham’s continued absence from the squad has prompted intense speculation and understandable questions, because he has been the club’s leading scorer for nearly three months on 12 goals yet has been in deep freeze as far as first team football goes.
Werner’s goal was handed on a plate to him last night but saw him finally draw level with the England striker on a round dozen.
Abraham, a Chelsea academy graduate, cost nothing compared to the near £50m splashed on Werner by Tuchel’s predecessor Frank Lampard last summer.
For somebody who prides himself on being so speedy, it has been a painfully long time waiting for Werner to come good. Particularly when he proclaimed so confidently upon arrival last summer that it would take two or three games maximum to get up to speed with our game.
Tuchel has been proved right again by refusing to give into his instincts and drop Werner to try yet another formula up front for Chelsea, the area which has been the club’s only weak area since he took over in January.
Each time he has been asked about Werner, patient Tuchel has insisted the best thing to do has been nothing.
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He even ordered Werner in from extra training some weeks back because he believed the best way forward was to chill out instead of overcooking his failing striker.
Tuchel’s measured approach taking things slowly must have been alien to Werner because he broke so many records as a youngster in Germany to earn his nickname ‘Turbo Timo’.
But the manager who has transformed Chelsea in just three months since taking over has shown that despite a reputation for being abrasive and volatile with his superiors, he is actually a superb man-manager.
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Chelsea fans celebrate outside Stamford Bridge after reaching the Champions League final More

AS he celebrates his 100th day in office today, Thomas Tuchel has already led Chelsea to two cup finals and propelled them from mid-table into the top four. He has outwitted Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho, Jurgen Klopp, Carlo Ancelotti and now Zinedine Zidane – a bunch of managers with 11 European Cups between them. 
Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount knows how important his late goal is as he celebrates joyously after earning a spot in an all-English Champions League finalCredit: Getty
Mason Mount nips in to make it 2-0 and set up a final with Man CityCredit: Reuters
Timo Werner heads the breakthrough goal for Chelsea on 28 minutes as ex-Blues keeper Thibaut Courtois watches on in vainCredit: The Sun
Only Big Sam Allardyce has prevailed against Tuchel, as the West Brom boss would gladly point out. 
The £120million shelled out by Roman Abramovich on the German attacking duo of Timo Werner and Kai Havertz came good as they combined to send Chelsea towards their first Champions League Final in nine years, against Manchester City on May 29.
Then Mason Mount, the peach of Chelsea’s rich recent academy crop, poached a late second which confirmed their passage to Istanbul. 
Real Madrid, those emperors of European football, may have bossed possession on their first ever visit to Stamford Bridge. 
But Chelsea created the majority of the chances, defended with vigour when they needed to, and richly deserved their victory over the two legs. 
Chelsea missed chances in Madrid and they squandered a heap of them in the second leg here, keeping this semi-final on a knife edge until the final minutes.
There was a staggering 18th clean sheet in 24 games under Tuchel – and his Blues are now starting to click more seriously in attack, even if their finishing still needs sharpening. 
Chelsea lead! 🙌A beautiful one-two in the build-up, before Havertz goes so close to scoring a delicious chip… But Timo Werner is on hand to score the rebound from close range! pic.twitter.com/MWGVcseVul— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) May 5, 2021

Timo Werner hails the goal that divided the teams at half-timeCredit: Getty
Thibaut Courtois and Real Madrid defenders see Timo Werner poach the Chelsea opener after Kai Havertz’s shot hit the barCredit: AFP
After Chelsea ended City’s hopes of a quadruple with their FA Cup semi-final success last month, England’s Oil Firm will now meet again in Turkey for the biggest prize in club football. 
Real had never previously visited Stamford Bridge – a fact which only seemed to accentuate the silence of The Shed on such a famous night for the club. 
There were hundreds of Chelsea fans making a racket out on Fulham Broadway as the teams arrived – and they were none too complimentary about Real president Florentino Perez, the Baron Greenback of the European Super League. 
Eden Hazard was fit to start on his Chelsea return, keeper Thibaut Courtois was also back in town, and that great anti-hero Sergio Ramos had recovered from the injury which kept him out of the first leg. 
Chelsea had taken that first game by the throat in the early stages and despite a decent result they had been left bemoaning a couple of Werner misses, yet the German kept his place up front, alongside compatriot Havertz, whose double against Fulham had earned him a starting berth. 
The now customary pre-match hailstorm had given the touchline TV types a thorough dowsing. 

Karim Benzema goes close with this effort for Real MadridCredit: The Sun
Edouard Mendy tips over this effort from Real hitman Karim BenzemaCredit: The Sun
Kai Havertz fires wide after the break, when Timo Werner was hoping for a passCredit: The Sun
And the fun didn’t stop there – Real were hogging the ball but Chelsea were baring their teeth with some meaty early challenges.
The masked Antonio Rudiger – who’d smashed his face during the first leg – tested Courtois from range and Mount was artfully dodging all over the shop. 
Cesar Azplicueta was booked for a cynical one on Hazard, who is used to being booted all over this turf. 
Werner had the ball in the net on 18 minutes, sweeping home a Ben Chilwell cross, but the effort was ruled out for offside. 
Karim Benzema, whose brilliant first-leg equaliser had given Real genuine hope here, then swivelled and whistled in a shot which Edouard Mendy tipped wide. 
But Chelsea were soon in front. N’Golo Kante – that 24-hour rolling footballer – burst forward, played a one-two with Werner, then fed Havertz.
Mason Mount! 💥After so many wasted opportunities, Chelsea FINALLY have their second goal of the night!They’re so close to Istanbul now! 🙏 pic.twitter.com/U6skxXPCMv— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) May 5, 2021

The elegant German, with one of his Zola-esque flashes, lofted it over Courtois on to the top of the bar, and the ball spun back down for a grateful Werner to nod over the line. 
Benzema then forced an even better save from Mendy, his leaping header forcing the Chelsea keeper to tip over the bar.
Ramos shoved over Azpilicueta but Rudiger, producing tackles to make Ron Harris wince, was matching him for defensive villainy and winding up the Spanish champions royally. 
The German is a proper defender – old-school bite and new-school athleticism. How could Lampard not have realised it?   
Chelsea began the second half with serious intent. Havertz launched himself at an Azpilicueta centre and crashed a header against the bar – then Thiago Silva nodded over from close range when he ought to have scored. 
Next, it was Mount who was gliding through Real’s defence, collecting a saucy back-heeled return pass from Werner but blazing into the Matthew Harding Stand. 
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Havertz then raced on to the same Rudiger through-ball as Werner, nicked it off his mate but was thwarted by an on-rushing Courtois. 
After Mendy had denied Hazard with his feet, Werner sprinted 50 yards and fed Kante who was denied by Courtois, racing off his line again.
Christian Pulisic replaced Werner midway through the half and, after being released by Kante, he supplied the pass for Mount to poach the killer second and celebrate with wild shrieks of delight. 
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Mason Mount delighted as Chelsea beat Real Madrid to reach Champions League final More

CHELSEA fans blasted Real Madrid’s ‘c***’ president Florentino Perez as they welcomed the Blues to Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.Hundreds of supporters gathered and lit flares as the teams arrived for the Champions League semi-final and the masses were quick to show their contempt for Perez after his leading role in the attempted European Super League breakaway.
Chelsea fans lit flares as they welcomed their team to Stamford BridgeCredit: PA
And supporters held up signs and chanted obscenities about Real Madrid president Florentino PerezCredit: PA
Hundreds of supporters gathered outside Stamford BridgeCredit: PA
Blues fans were in good spirits as the team coaches arrived in West London, and would have been even happier after watching Timo Werner and Mason Mount net in a 2-0 victory to send Thomas Tuchel’s side to Istanbul.
Police kept order as supporters young and old sang songs to urge their team on before the match.
Blue smoke and flags swirled in the West London streets.
And the air turned even bluer as a taxi attempted to drive through the masses which fans believed to be carrying disgraced Real president Perez.
It remains unclear whether the Spaniard was inside the car but Blues supporters let their feelings be known nonetheless.
According to on-site journalist Sam Cunningham, they chanted: “Perez, you’re a c***!”.
The Blancos chief was one of the driving forces behind the renegade Super League plot that tried to destroy football.
It collapsed before it got off the ground after widespread condemnation and protests from fans, pundits and politicians alike. 
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Outside Stamford Bridge. Chelsea fans chant “Perez, you’re a c**t” at what they presume is the taxi taking him into the stadium pic.twitter.com/MFG97cKS1h— Sam Cunningham (@samcunningham) May 5, 2021

Flags and flares adorned the West London streetsCredit: Getty
Police kept order among the excited fansCredit: Reuters
Supporters young and old welcomed their team to the stadium ahead of the Champions League semi-finalCredit: PA
There was a buoyant mood among supportersCredit: Reuters
The Blues are looking to reach the Champions League final with a win over Real MadridCredit: PA

Chelsea and Real drew 1-1 in the first-leg in Spain.
Christian Pulisic opened the scoring before Karim Benzema’s equaliser levelled the tie.
And 4,000 Blues fans may now get a chance to watch their side face Manchester City in the final next month after Uefa confirmed the showpiece WILL be held in Istanbul in front of a reduced capacity.
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Blue smoke billowed across the roadCredit: PA
Supporters filled the streets of ChelseaCredit: Reuters

Chelsea fans celebrate outside Stamford Bridge after reaching the Champions League final More