Timo Werner thought his goal in Madrid had completed Champions League comeback
- Planet Sport writer
- 13 April 2022
Timo Werner believed his goal at the Bernabeu Stadium had earned Chelsea progression into the Champions League semi-final.
Werner scored in the second half to put Chelsea 3-0 ahead and 4-3 on aggregate with 10 minutes to go.
However, a Rodrygo goal forced the tie into extra time before Karim Benzema scored the winning goal to ensure Carlo Ancelotti's side progressed into the final four of Europe's biggest competition.
Werner - who has not replicated his prolific scoring at Leipzig since joining Chelsea in 2020 - admitted he thought he was going to be the hero and send Thomas Tuchel's side through with his goal.
"When I celebrated I thought 'this is it'," Werner told Chelsea's official club website.
"We could have scored before that to make it 3-0 but the officials didn't give it to us. It is a point you can talk about but when I scored I thought 'we are through with this'.
"We nearly gave no chances to Madrid but in the end we have to say the goals they scored were very good.
"To come back after a 3-1 defeat in the home game was very good for us, we had everything that we needed at 3-0 up, we had the chance to go through.
"There was one moment in regular time when we were not like we were the whole game and Madrid have the quality to score against you and they showed it for the 3-1.
"I think it was a brilliant goal, a brilliant cross from Modric, hard to defend."
⚽️ 15' Mount
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) April 13, 2022
⚽️ 51' Rudiger
⚽️ 75' Werner
⚽️ 80' Rodrygo
⚽️ 96' Benzema
An EPIC encounter between Real Madrid & Chelsea in the Champions League 🤯
Relive all of the goals from the Bernabéu in just 60 seconds...#UCL pic.twitter.com/Er0td06KRP
Mason Mount and Toni Rudiger also found the net for Chelsea while Marcus Alonso had a goal ruled out for handball by a VAR check.
Blues boss Tuchel said he has 'no regrets' about how his team tasted defeat.
"Madrid didn't create a lot at Stamford Bridge but they took every half-chance and converted it," said Tuchel.
"You have to reduce your amount of mistakes and we couldn't do it over two legs.
"But across both legs, and for sure in Madrid, we deserved to go through.
"No regrets though: these are the kinds of defeats you can take with pride.
"The players lived up to a plan. We were never shy of making the point that this is the most important, how we live up to a tactic and how lively we play in a structure.
"This is where the credit goes to the players, they were very disciplined on the ball and very active.
"I'm very happy, this is the way to go forward.
"If we have this kind of effort we are a special team, and if not we can lose against anybody."
Real boss Carlo Ancelotti is now aiming to win his fourth European Cup, and second as Madrid manager.
The ex-Chelsea head coach won the tournament in his first spell at Madrid, defeating Atletico Madrid 4-1 in 2014.
"Nobody can say we won't win the trophy, but nobody can say we will win it either," said Ancelotti.
"We showed everyone we can be competitive right until the very end.
"I do think Rodrygo actually made a different for us, and he's made a difference before plenty of times.
"He's a very young player and he's important for us.
"He needs a little time to blend in with the others but I'm very happy with him."
