Things were different at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night. When 40,000 people shout 'man-on', it's a sign of an invested crowd and the Blues certainly had that when they set about trying to overcome a two-goal deficit.
Before the first whistle of the match, home and away support were making Chelsea and Real Madrid stars aware of the enormity of the occasion. Even if the Blues had little hope of completing a comeback, much like Chelsea's performance, the atmosphere was a far cry from recent Premier League matches. It was fever pitch in west London as the Chelsea faithful looked to get behind their team, appreciating the effort that arrived, that had not manifested itself in the same way against Brighton.
Thibaut Courtois certainly heard the crowd at his back to the tune of a variety of musical expletives. Once again the former Chelsea stopper pulled off a series impressive saves to set the foundation for a Real Madrid victory and took each moment in his stride. The goalkeeper kissed the Real Madrid badge in response to the grief being directed his way at the close of the first 45 minutes which only served to rankle supporters who were desperate to inspire a comeback.
