Thanks to the continued brilliance of star striker Karim Benzema, Real Madrid got off to a strong start to the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals with a 2-0 win over Chelsea in the first leg.
Benzema scored in the 21st minute off a rebound when Vinícius Júnior redirected a Dani Carvajal through ball, which was saved by Kepa Arrizabalaga. The captain and reigning UEFA Player of the Year was trailing the play and found himself in the right place at the right time to put Real Madrid ahead for good.
They kept the pressure on Chelsea throughout the contest by dominating the possession battle and firing 15 shots, 10 of which were on goal.