The game was a perfect one from a tactical point of view, but too big of a deficit to overcome. (1:00)
After two thrilling matches, Real Madrid came from behind to oust reigning champion Chelsea from the quarterfinals of the European Championship.
After taking a 3-1 lead from the first leg, Los Blancos were pegged back by goals from Mason Mount and Antonio Rudiger in the second leg at the Bernabeu. A further goal for either side from Timo Werner and Rodrygo saw the encounter extend into extra time, when Karim Benzema once again emerged as the hero for Real by scoring a 96th-minute winner.
Real booked themselves a place in the semifinals for the 15th time in their history, more than any other club.
The Spanish giants have defeated the defending champion in all of the previous four times they have faced it in the knockout stages of the competition.
How can I explain the magic of this stadium? Carlo Ancelotti said after the game that it helps the team and players to never give up.
If any coach is worthy of being known as "Mr. European League", it is him. Few can claim the longevity enjoyed by the 62-year-old Italian, who has become part of the furniture in the latter stages of Europe's elite competition and lifted the trophy three times.
If you include his career as a player, he has reached the semifinals of the competition in four different decades.
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AC Milan won back-to-back European Cups in 1989 and 1990 but it would not be repeated for another 25 years until Real Madrid won their third in a row.
After taking over from Marcello Lippi in February of 1998, Carlo Ancelotti guided the Bianconeri to the last four of the 1998-99 season, their first appearance in the semifinals of the European Championship. The Bianconeri drew with Manchester United in the first leg of their semi at Old Trafford, but lost the second leg at home. After a disappointing seventh-place finish in Italy, United went on to win the Treble by beating the Germans in the final.
During his eight years as Milan's coach, he guided them to the semifinals of the Champions League four times. The first instance was in 2002-03, when the Rossoneri squeezed past rivals Inter Milan on away goals before beating Juventus in a thoroughly tedious final that was decided by a penalty shootout. The 2004-05 season saw Milan comfortably dispatch PSV Eindhoven in the semis before taking a three-goal lead againstLiverpool in the final, only to lose on penalties, in one of the most stunning comebacks of all time. The back-to-back semifinal runs followed in 2005-06 and 2006-07, with the latter ending with Carlo Ancelotti lifting the trophy for the second time as a manager.
After a brief stint with Paris Saint-Germain, Carlo Ancelotti was hired by Real Madrid and immediately returned to the final four of the European Championship. In the semis, Real overcame a 2-0 first leg deficit to reach the final, where they overcame a 4-2 first leg deficit to win La Decima, their 10th victory in the competition. The title defence of Real Madrid was halted by a 3-2 aggregate victory by Juventus in the 2014-15 season.
It took seven years away and tenures with varying levels of success at various clubs, but Carlo Ancelotti has been able to extend his record in the semifinals of the European Championship. The milestone was officially passed by Real on Tuesday. The former player got the chance to show he has not lost his touch with a nifty bit of ball control on the sideline.
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