'The club will be back' - Frank Lampard adamant Chelsea will rise again
Frank Lampard promised that Chelsea will be back after Real Madrid effectively ended a dismal season for his side with a 2-0 win to eliminate them from the Champions League. Lampard's team fell to two goals from Real forward Rodrygo to exit the tournament at the quarter-final stage, thus relinquishing their last faint hopes of qualifying again next year. Chelsea, in 11th place in the Premier League, face the prospect of a first season without European competition since 2016/17, and against Real over two legs looked a shadow of the team that were crowned European champions less than two years ago. Chelsea threatened either side of half-time with glorious chances for Marc Cucurella, who saw his close-range effort from Reece James' cross beaten away by Thibaut Courtois, and N'Golo Kante whose shot was blocked by Eder Militao. Those opportunities could potentially have turned momentum and the tie in Chelsea's favour, but across the game Lampard's team did not show enough cohesion in their attacks nor discipline in defence to match the European champions and threaten their reign.
