Chelsea have fallen agonisingly short of pulling off a famous Champions League victory over Real Madrid, Los Blancos going 3-0 down on the night before eventually progressing courtesy of a 3-2 defeat in the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Strikes from Mason Mount, Antonio Rudiger and Timo Werner put the defending champions ahead on aggregate with 15 minutes remaining, but a stunning goal from Rodrygo made it 4-4 and took the contest to extra time.
While the Premier League side continued to push for more goals, it was Karim Benzema who put Real ahead soon after the restart, his fourth goal of the tie capping a Champions League classic in fitting style.
In response to Chelsea's 6-0 victory over Southampton at the weekend, Thomas Tuchel opted to make just one alteration to his starting lineup, meaning that Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Werner kept their places in the team.
With Real's 3-1 lead from the first leg in mind, both sides were cautious during the opening stages, Benzema's free kick which cleared the crossbar being the only chance of note, but at the quarter-hour mark, Chelsea got themselves back into the tie.
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Loftus-Cheek and Werner produced a sharp passing exchange to tee up Mount, the ball falling invitingly in front of the playmaker before he found the far corner of the net from 16 yards out.
The expected immediate response from Real did not materialise, Chelsea instead dominating possession and frequently probing for space in the final third as their opponents dropped deeper and deeper.
To Los Blancos' credit, they did not concede many clear-cut opportunities, but they went into half time having allowed Chelsea to establish a foothold in the contest.
It was much of the same after the restart as Chelsea pressed their hosts back into their own defensive third, although there was a touch of good fortune about their second goal.
Chelsea were awarded a corner, despite Reece James's strike not appearing to take a deflection, and from the resulting set piece, Rudiger directed a header into the bottom corner of Thibaut Courtois's net from by the penalty spot.
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Unlike with the first goal, Real responded by going on the front foot, and it took a solid save from Edouard Mendy to prevent Toni Kroos's free kick beating him from 25 yards.
The pressure continued as Dani Carvajal lashed a strike over the crossbar from distance, but if good fortune was on Chelsea's side for the second, it certainly was not when they thought they had taken the lead in the tie.
Marcos Alonso produced a marvellous finish with his weaker right foot, finding the far corner with a shot on the half-volley, but VAR deemed that the ball had taken a slight touch off his hand, the unintentional contact playing its part in teeing up the effort.
Real no doubt felt fortunate to still be on level terms and they went up the other end to almost edge back ahead, Benzema sending a header back across goal only for it to clip the top of the crossbar.
As the game edged towards the final 15 minutes, both teams felt torn between pushing forward and settling for extra time, but Chelsea deservedly went ahead with the kind of goal that has long been expected from Werner.
After the ball was played through the Real defence, the much-criticised striker cut inside, twice putting a defender on the floor, before his deflected shot crept into the far corner.
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Moments later, Kai Havertz saw a header superbly kept out by Courtois, and it ultimately proved vital as Real levelled the tie on aggregate through a quite stunning goal from Rodrygo.
Luka Modric, with the outside of his foot, found the run of the substitute, who sent a volley inside Mendy's near post from eight yards out.
The assist from Modric will go down in Champions League folklore - it was that good - although Real's goal did not deter Chelsea who peppered away for a fourth in normal time.
Their two best opportunities both fell to Christian Pulisic from no more than eight yards out, the American failing to find the target on each occasion.
Even with Carlo Ancelotti having made four substitutions in comparison to Chelsea's one, it was the home side who desperately required the brief respite, and they ultimately landed a hammer blow in the sixth minute of extra time.
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Vinicius Junior found acres of space down the left-hand side and his cross was deflected into the path of Benzema, forcing Rudiger to slip, and the Frenchman once again showed his class with a clinical header into the bottom corner from eight yards.
Although the pressure continued to come from the visitors, it was not with the same intensity as earlier in the game, moves breaking down more often and fewer clear-cut chances being created.
Nevertheless, Hakim Ziyech produced a shot towards the near post which was comfortably pushed away by Courtois, but the best opportunity went the way of Havertz, whose free header from 12 yards went narrowly off target.
Jorginho also dragged a shot wide from 14 yards, albeit under pressure and on his left foot, and it proved to be the final opening for Chelsea, whose defence of the 2021 crown ends with them going out on their shield.
Darren Plant
