The manager of Chelsea football club, Frank Lampard has stressed that his struggling team could make “special things” happen at Stamford after going down 2-0 in Madrid.
On Wednesday, Frank Lampard who was just named the caretaker coach of Chelsea last week led the Premier League club to the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu to take on Real Madrid in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals round.
As expected, the reigning Champions League winners defeated the 11th-placed Premier League side 2-0 to take control of the two-legged tie as Chelsea finished the game with ten men after Ben Chilwell was shown a red card before the first-hour mark.
On Tuesday, April 18, 2023, Chelsea will host Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge for the second leg of the tie. Coach Frank Lampard and his boys must beat coach Carlo Ancelotti and his men 3-0 to qualify for the semis.
“I’m proud of the 10 men. The disappointing thing is that you give away a set piece for the second goal from switching off. I don’t think with 10 men they carved us open. That was due to the spirit”, Frank Lampard told BT Sport on Wednesday night.
“We had our chances in the game. Three pretty good chances. Joao (Felix) earlier, Raheem (Sterling), and Mason (Mount) near the end. There are some good things, but the result is the reality.
“But I just said to the players that special things can happen at Stamford Bridge. They are a very good team, but we have to believe.
“There was a lot there for us, I thought, as good a team as they are, but it’s been a difficult period for the players and there’s a little bit of a lack of belief.
“I think the players have got to understand how good they are and what they can do. Maybe we’re a bit short on that at the moment. I think there were some opportunities in possession to use the size of the pitch more and be a bit more aggressive.
“There was some good in there, but as I say the result is a fact, so next week is going to be a big fight.”
