Chelsea interim manager Frank Lampard made the decision to switch to a back five for the Champions League clash with Real Madrid. Adding another defender in Ben Chilwell to the starting XI meant an outgoing was needed elsewhere and with N'Golo Kante recalled, that change came in attack.
For the first time in nine consecutive games, Kai Havertz was the chosen forward to miss out with Joao Felix and Raheem Sterling tasked with leading the line. Lampard's decision appeared clever given the skill and pace of the attacking duo and their ability to break into space in the channels for Chelsea to try and exploit on the counter-attack.
Within the first few minutes Chelsea found themselves in behind the Madrid defence with Felix only able to fire his effort straight at Thibaut Courtois. Sterling also had a chance later in the half which drew an excellent reaction save from the former Chelsea goalkeeper. However, that was pretty much it for both.
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After their early opportunities, the Blues found themselves penned in with Felix and Sterling almost immediately dispossessed the second they got a touch of the ball "The game for Raheem, and Joao Felix was a tough match," Lampard said after the game. "The system we played defensively, the lads of got a lot of work. Their main threat, sometimes we counter-attack and protect the ball.
"It was a difficult night for us at the top end of the pitch. Joao is a big talent, as is Raheem, I'm not here to criticise upon it too much. We'll go away and analyse it."
Former Chelsea man Frank Leboeuf agreed with the interim head coach to some extent, but it's fair to say the 55-year-old certainly described the performances of Sterling and Felix differently to Lampard.
“Some [Chelsea] players did well, but most of them switched off, I’d say,” the former France international told ESPN FC.
“What happened to Joao Felix today? It was not a derby between Atletico and Real Madrid, it was Chelsea. Yet he disappeared. Sterling… I’m not talking about him. He disappeared for a long time.”
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