Vinicius, Benzema to fore as Real Madrid beat Chelsea 2-0 in Champions League

MADRID: Karim Benzema struck yet again against Chelsea, leading Real Madrid to a 2-0 win in the first leg of the quarterfinals of the Champions League on Wednesday.

Substitute Marco Asensio also scored for Madrid after Benzema had netted his sixth goal in five matches against the English club in the latest meeting between the last two European champions.

Chelsea played the final half-hour with 10 men after Ben Chilwell was sent off for stopping a Madrid breakaway. It was a second consecutive defeat for new Chelsea interim coach Frank Lampard after he replaced Graham Potter amid the team’s disappointing results.

The second leg is next week in London. AC Milan defeated Napoli 1-0 in the other quarterfinal match on Wednesday.

Benzema opened the scoring by hitting the open net off the rebound of a save by Kepa Arrizabalaga after an attempt by Vinicius Junior from close range in the 22nd minute at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

Benzema had scored four times against Chelsea in the last-eight last season, including the decisive goal in extra time in the second leg in Madrid. He had a hat trick in the first leg in London. The French veteran has scored 20 goals in 27 matches against English opposition. His last 14 goals in the competition have come in the knockout stage.

Asencio netted the second in the 74th after another assist by Vinicius.

“We played very well. It was one of our best matches of the season,” Vinícius said. “It’s great to win at home like this, but there is still a lot left and we need to win the second game. We will have to come out strong there as well.”

It is the third consecutive time Madrid and Chelsea meet in the Champions League, with Madrid prevailing at this same stage last season and Chelsea