Wasteful Werner leaves Chelsea vulnerable to ruthless Real

Karim Benzema’s equaliser demonstrated the danger that lurks for Thomas Tuchel’s side if they fail to find composure up front

Chelsea's German forward Timo Werner (L) vies with Real Madrid's French defender Raphael Varane during the UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg football match between Real Madrid and Chelsea at the Alfredo di Stefano stadium in Valdebebas,  (Photo by PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU/AFP via Getty Images)

Karim Benzema’s brilliant equaliser for Real Madrid on Tuesday night was more than a random act of genius. It was a punishment that Chelsea brought on themselves by failing to land the killer blow when they were on top during the first leg of their Champions League semi-final at Valdebebas, demonstrating they cannot simply rely on Thomas Tuchel’s keen tactical mind against Europe’s best.

The lesson was not lost on Tuchel, who knew Chelsea had only themselves to blame after missing a chance to put away the 13-time champions. There was no point complaining about Madrid’s goal coming against the run of play. Zinedine Zidane’s side always had a chance with a striker of Benzema’s calibre and although Chelsea left Spain with a slender advantage thanks to Christian Pulisic’s splendid opener, Tuchel will be concerned about his attack’s lack of composure before the second leg at Stamford Bridge next Wednesday.