Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has shown support to his Chelsea counterpart Edouard Mendy after the Senegal international produced a costly error in the first-leg of their Champions League quarter-final at Stamford Bridge.
It was the Karim Benzema show in west London as the Frenchman fired home two first-half headers in quick succession to give Carlo Ancelotti's side a 2-0 lead inside half an hour. Kai Havertz pulled a goal back before half-time to give Thomas Tuchel hope but the two-goal lead was restored shortly after half-time.
With many in the ground yet to take their seats for the second 45 minutes, a weak tackle from Antonio Rudiger and a calamitous pass from Mendy gifted Benzema an open goal to complete his hat-trick. He duly obliged, rolling the ball into the net from 30 yards to give Chelsea a mammoth task in the Bernabeu next week.
It was a rare error from a player who has proved so reliable for the Blues since Tuchel arrived just over a year ago. In the BT studio at full-time, Joe Cole gave his analysis of the moment and expressed sympathy for the manager.
"The next goal in the tie is crucial. It’s a huge ask to go to Spain and overturn a 3-1 deficit," he said. "Tuchel changed it at half-time, went to a back four and looked a lot brighter and sharper. One thing you can’t account for is individual mistakes. Rudiger and Mendy got it wrong. Benzema, outstanding and gives them a good advantage next week. The tie isn’t over though."
Courtois, who spent seven years as a Chelsea player before leaving for Madrid in the summer of 2018, was given a hostile reception by his former fans at Stamford Bridge. He made 154 appearances in total for the Blues and helped them to two Premier League titles, an FA Cup and a League Cup.
After the full-time whistle, the 29-year-old expressed sympathy for his opposite number, saying via FotMob: ""The problem if you make a bad pass as a goalkeeper is that there's no one behind, they steal the ball and score. He shouldn't be blamed, but a mistake by a goalkeeper is talked about a lot."
