Chelsea will need a huge performance in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium after losing the first leg 3-1 at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues were bullied by Los Blancos forward Karim Benzema, who helped himself to a stunning hat-trick as Madrid claimed a vital win. Kai Havertz netted for the Blues to give a glimmer of hope with the score at 2-0, but Benzema's third right after half-time put the game to bed as the Blues missed a number of chances to reduce the deficit.
It comes as Gabby Agbonlahor has slammed the Blues for their "boring" tactics and for playing like a "youth team". And Inter Milan have reportedly changed their tune on bringing Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku back to Italy.
Here are Mirror Football's latest Chelsea headlines.
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Madrid talking points
Real Madrid took control of their Champions League quarter-final with Chelsea with a 3-1 win over the Blues thanks to Karim Benzema's hat-trick.
The Frenchman nodded home by racing onto Vinicius’ cross, before hanging in the air to dispatch Luka Modric’s delivery just minutes later. Jorginho’s sumptuous lofted ball split the Madrid defence, allowing Kai Havertz to steal in at the far post and nod home just before half-time.
But Edouard Mendy gifted Benzema his hat-trick goal with an undersold pass shortly after the break. It was a match full of talking points, including Benzema's brilliance, Mendy's moment of madness and Thibault Courtois' cold return to Stamford Bridge.
Inter change tune over Lukaku return
Inter Milan could move to bring Romelu Lukaku back to the club following the striker's struggles at Chelsea, it is claimed.
Lukaku returned to Stamford Bridge last summer in a £97.5million deal but the move has not quite worked out with the Belgium international struggling to hold down a place in Thomas Tuchel's starting line-up. Lukaku has found the net just five times in the Premier League and spoke earlier in the season of his unhappiness at his current situation.
And reports coming out of Italy have suggested his former side Inter are no longer ruling out a summer return for Lukaku.
Tuchel's tactics slammed
Gabby Agbonlahor has slammed Thomas Tuchel's Chelsea for their "boring" tactics and for playing like a "youth team".
The talkSPORT pundit was speaking before the Blues' Champions League loss to Real Madrid on Wednesday night, and was highly critical of the side's performance in the 4-1 thrashing by Brentford on Saturday. And Agbonlahor has revealed he doesn't like watching Chelsea play, saying he finds it "boring".
