A midtable Premier League club's performance is what Chelsea's loss to Real Madrid in the Champions League would typically resemble.

An 11th place Premier League side went to the Bernabeu and did exactly what you'd expect

Looking back at Chelsea's 2-0 loss to Real Madrid, it's fair to wonder what more they could have done. The question that will linger with Frank Lampard is how to close the gap between his team and the superior Real Madrid squad. Unfortunately, there is no tactical solution or system adjustment that can bridge this chasm - what Chelsea really need are better players. 

The match showed that Chelsea's current Premier League positioning is not undeserved, as they performed like a typical midtable English club against the reigning European champions. While there were moments of promise, particularly at the beginning of the match, it was clear that the team's skill level was simply not on par with their opponents'. This begs the question: if even an average Premier League club like Chelsea can outmaneuver the rest of the continent with players like N'Golo Kante and Joao Felix, what hope is there for others.Enzo Fernandez was finding pockets of space to deliver his passes, Reece James was careening up the right and Raheem Sterling was dropping into midfield to allow Chelsea to string together meandering spells in possession. It was not a lot, but you could convince yourself it might be a foothold on the way to a stalemate or maybe even something better.

The initial moments of the match between Real Madrid and Chelsea were like a lesson for the former, as they absorbed the pressure from the latter and learned from their weaknesses. But once Madrid got a grip on the game, they were ruthless and relentless in their attack. Wesley Fofana was clearly the weak point in Chelsea's defense, and Vinicius Junior took advantage of that to give him a hard time. Fofana received a yellow card early in the game, which affected his performance and allowed Vinicius to score the opening goal. Chelsea's defense couldn't slow down Vinicius, who made his way into the penalty area 19 times, almost twice as many times as the entire Chelsea team. Even when Marc Cucurella replaced him, Madrid continued to put pressure on Chelsea. 

The team's weak spots were evident, with a lack of a reliable number 9 or 10, and defenders who were either too young or too old. The midfield was not complete without N'Golo Kante, whose fitness was a concern. Ben Chilwell's red card demonstrated the team's lack of trust in their goalkeeper, Kepa Arrizabalaga. Chelsea's squad was plagued with weaknesses, and it would take more than just six days for the fourth manager of the season to fix them. 

The gap between the middle of the Premier League and the best teams in Europe was vast, and without addressing their flaws, Chelsea could expect another defeat at Stamford Bridge.

Also Read