The last time Chelsea binned off Frank Lampard, they won the Champions League four months later.

They brought him back, have immediately lost four games on the trot and won't be kings of Europe this year. Nor will they be contesting this competition next year.

Sometimes good things come to an end, but Chelsea and Lampard have past glories they can rely on and seem happy enough together again, so don't cry for them.

All those signings in January, and then this? All the brilliant leadership from Todd Boehly, and then this?

Real Madrid have more past glories than any club in the history of this competition, landing their 14th title last May, and they cleared the Chelsea hurdle after Carlo Ancelotti somehow outwitted Lampard.

Honestly, who saw that coming?

This was football as some sort of abstract performance art from the men in blue and their boss.

Stealth tactics, confuse the hell out of them. Play N'Golo Kante as a roving forward, why not? Have Conor Gallagher as the man nodding down crosses for the little Frenchman, why not? Madrid won't know what's hit 'em!

On seeing Chelsea's starting line-up, featuring world-beating holding midfielder Kante as the frontline attack dog, snooker star and Blues fan Neil Robertson tweeted: "I'm a little confused with this lineup. Hopefully a master plan!"

Sure Neil, let's call this a master plan. Just like playing a frame of snooker with the butt end of a cue would be considered a sound tactic, this was a master plan all right.

Eleven minutes in, this supreme strategy should have brought Chelsea a goal when Reece James' cross broke to an unmarked Kante.

From 12 yards the French World Cup winner surely would hit the opening goal and give Chelsea the dream start they were after.

Reader, he did not. A wild swing of the left boot sent the ball wide, but my word, did Madrid already look confused.

After playing 30 games in the Champions League without ever scoring, it was surely a matter of time before Kante broke that duck in this game. He was born to be the match winner.

James took a hapless touch on another Chelsea attack and Madrid's Vinicius Junior shepherded the ball out of play for a goal kick, being told to 'f*** off' by at least one Chelsea supporter for his efforts.

Madrid were surely on the ropes now with such vitriol adding to their woes.

Sure, Rodrygo whacked a shot against the outside of the Chelsea right post. But the home side were flying.

Kante had four touches in the first 20 minutes, the fewest of any player on the pitch. Madrid were being lulled into a false sense of security, their 2-0 first-leg lead suddenly so vulnerable.

Sure, Luka Modric’s sharp shot from a tight angle was then bundled behind by Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Chelsea full-back James got in on the right and looked to play a quick ball to the striker attacking the near post, except that player unfortunately did not exist.

In the 38th minute, Kante was the man dashing down the right, and the makeshift winger’s cross would have been ideal if Chelsea had a striker in their ranks. As it was, it ran through the penalty area and out again before Madrid cleared their lines.

Kante then won a corner, and Kai Havertz flicked it on, Conor Gallagher headed it up, and nobody nodded it in.

In first-half stoppage time, Chelsea had the best chance of the half, when James' delicious low cross from the right inevitably missed the players in the middle and ran through to left-back Marc Cucurella.

The £55million defender was not necessarily acquired for his finishing, having only netted once for Brighton and Hove Albion, and he duly kept up his record of never having netted for Chelsea as Thibaut Courtois kept out his strike.

By half-time, Kante had pulled level with the goalkeepers on 17 touches each. Progress.

The chances kept coming after the break and Kante had another glorious opportunity when Gallagher nodded the ball down. Kante got to the ball and smacked his shot straight at defender Eder Militao.

Havertz trickled a low shot straight at Courtois, and Madrid were surely by now boggled by this master class in mind games. You could knock them down with a feather by this point.

Yet after almost an hour of banter-ball, Madrid scored when a short pass from Vinicius teed up Rodrygo to smash in from close range.

But wait! In the 67th minute, Lampard introduced three players with goals in their veins: Raheem Sterling, Mykhailo Mudryk and Joao Felix.

Hold them back until the game's lost, Frank, then unleash them, baby!

The Spanish giants withdrew Benzema after 70 minutes, sparing him from such advanced confusion tactics.

All Chelsea needed now was four goals.

Madrid scored next, Federico Valverde dancing past Thiago Silva and squaring for Rodrygo to net again. Two-nil on the night, four-nil on aggregate.

Just five goals needed now.

Frank, I don't think this is going quite to plan.

Real Madrid kept their Champions League title defence alive with a 2-0 win over Chelsea on Tuesday that secured a 4-0 aggregate success in the quarter-finals.

Rodrygo's second-half double helped Los Blancos see off any chance of a Blues comeback at Stamford Bridge to book their semi-final spot.

Frank Lampard's hosts offered an energetic improvement on their performance in the reverse fixture at the Santiago Bernabeu last week.

But their inability to convert chances ultimately left the door open for Carlo Ancelotti's side to make it a comfortable passage to the last four in the end.

Chelsea started with dogged intent, going close when N'Golo Kante sliced a volley wide 11 minutes in.

Madrid did not rest on their own laurels, however, with Rodrygo striking the post almost midway through the first half after he was played smartly into the box.

Luka Modric tested Kepa Arrizabalaga with a powerful shot just past the half-hour mark, while Thibaut Courtois denied Marc Cucurella from six yards after the Blues man found himself in space.

But their best chance arguably fell to Kante just after the restart, his strike off Conor Gallagher's header was blocked at close-range.

That miss allowed Madrid to make the breakthrough instead, with Rodrygo smashing home Vinicius Junior's square return ball in the 58th minute.

His effort took the sting out of the contest, and when the Brazilian added a second in the 80th minute from Federico Valverde's cut-back, it allowed the visitors an easy ride to the finish line.

Frank Lampard's temporary reign at Chelsea is a "risky gamble" but could well pay off for the beleaguered club, believes Rafael Benitez.

Former Blues head coach Lampard returned to his former post on a short-term basis on April 6 following Graham Potter's dismissal.

Yet with three losses from his first three games in charge, it has been far from a glowing reunion for the club's record goalscorer.

Benitez, who led Chelsea as interim boss himself for the bulk of the 2012-13 season, feels there is still time for Lampard to effect a turnaround.

"It was a surprise for everyone [re-appointing Lampard], but he has been there for many years and knows the players," Benitez told the Telegraph.

"It's a risky gamble that we will only be able to assess, as almost always, at the end. He has a great squad at his disposal, he knows the Premier League.

"He knows the players, the staff and the fans will give him more leeway than another manager because he was a great player there. He can give them more peace of mind in the short term."

Another of Benitez's former clubs, Real Madrid, stood in Chelsea's way on Tuesday, with the Blues looking to overturn a 2-0 deficit in their Champions League quarter-final.

Lampard was Benitez's captain for the 2013 Europa League final victory over Benfica, the lone honour of a season that saw the Spanish coach experience a thorny relationship with the club's fanbase.

The former Liverpool boss acknowledges his time on Merseyside likely coloured a negative impression of him among Chelsea fans, but he retains fond memories from his spell at Stamford Bridge, steering Chelsea to third place in the Premier League and semi-finals of the EFL Cup and FA Cup.

"It's not lost on anyone that [Roman] Abramovich's Chelsea were the strongest team in the Premier League when I arrived at Liverpool," Benitez said. "We competed with them and beat them in the Champions League several times, those games had a lot of tension, and it's not easy for a fan to forget the emotional part.

"Fortunately, we [at Chelsea] more than fulfilled our objectives of qualifying directly for the Champions League and, on top of that we also won the Europa League. I think everyone now sees it as a success."

If Chelsea were looking for encouragement ahead of the Madrid second leg, it was provided by recent history.

The Blues have progressed from five of their last seven Champions League ties when losing the first leg away from home, doing so in each of the last two when losing by two clear goals: against Napoli in 2011-12 and Paris Saint-Germain in 2013-14.

Liverpool are set for a busy off-season with suggestions that Jurgen Klopp and the club's management want a squad overhaul.

Among the key areas to address is their midfield options, leading to links to numerous players.

It was reported last week Liverpool have pulled out of the race for Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham.

TOP STORY – REDS TO RAMP UP MOUNT INTEREST

Liverpool will ramp up their efforts to sign Mason Mount, amid a lack of a breakthrough in negotiations between the midfielder and Chelsea, reports The Guardian.

The Reds have now moved on from Bellingham given Dortmund's asking price, with Mount in their sights given he is out of contract at the end of this season.

Mount has offered no signs that he will extend his Chelsea deal, with Liverpool eager to capitalise and lure the 24-year-old England international to Anfield.

ROUND-UP

- Chelsea could look to join the race alongside Real Madrid for Manchester City forward Julian Alvarez, according to Fichajes. Alvarez is reportedly unhappy with his lack of game-time on the pitch at City.

- Manchester City are interested in an off-season move for Bayern Munich's Alphonso Davies along with Real Madrid, reports Sky Sports Germany's Florian Plettenberg. Davies' contract runs until 2024 and he has held talks with Bayern on a new deal.

- Man City are also willing to let defender Aymeric Laporte exit in the off-season if he pushes for a move, claims the Daily Mail. Laporte, who is contracted until 2025, has fallen out of favour at City.

- 90min reports Arsenal are tracking Borussia Monchengladbach's Florian Neuhaus, who is contracted until 2024.

- Sport Witness claims Inter's Joaquin Correa has interest from Premier League trio Aston Villa, Everton and West Ham.

- Ex-Tottenham boss Antonio Conte will take over at Roma next season, with Jose Mourinho tipped to move to Paris Saint-Germain, per Calciomercato.

Frank Lampard's start to life back at Chelsea has not gone according to plan.

The Blues have lost all three of their games under Lampard, who was appointed on an interim basis earlier in April following Graham Potter's dismissal.

That run included a 2-0 defeat at Real Madrid in the first leg of a Champions League quarter-final tie, with Los Blancos heading to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday with a club record in their sights.

Tuesday's other game sees Serie A leaders Napoli go up against Milan, who lead 1-0 from the first leg of that all-Italian encounter.

With the help of Opta numbers, Stats Perform previews the first two Champions League matches of the week.

Chelsea v Real Madrid: Los Blancos hunting sixth straight knockout win

Madrid have won their last five Champions League knockout matches, their joint-longest winning run in knockout games in the competition.

All five wins have come against English teams, with only Barcelona (seven in a row between 2014 and 2016) having a longer winning run against English clubs.

Karim Benzema scored Madrid's opener in last week's 2-0 win at Santiago Bernabeu. The striker's last 11 Champions League goals have come against English teams, while his last 14 have all been in the knockout stages of the competition, the longest such run by a player in Champions League history. Benzema has 14 goals and two assists for Madrid in his last nine appearances in the knockout stages.

Madrid's second was teed up by Vinicius Junior, who has been involved in 20 goals in his last 20 Champions League appearances, scoring 10 goals and assisting 10 goals in this time. Since the start of last season, the Brazil winger is the only player to reach double figures for both goals and assists in the competition.

Madrid have progressed from 18 of their 19 Champions League ties after winning the first leg by two or more goals, failing only in 2003-04 against Monaco in the quarter-finals.

Chelsea do have some hope, however. They have progressed from five of their last seven Champions League ties when losing the first leg away from home, and done so in each of the last two when losing by two clear goals (vs Napoli in 2011-12 and Paris Saint-Germain in 2013-14).

The Blues have lost two of their last three European matches against Madrid (W1), both in Champions League quarter-finals across the last two campaigns. They had not lost any of their first five against them before this (W3 D2).

Napoli v Milan: Serie A leaders out to avoid third Rossoneri reverse

Napoli have already lost twice to Milan in April, losing 4-0 in Serie A at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium and 1-0 at San Siro in the first leg of this tie. The last side to beat them three times in one season was Lazio in the 1994-95 campaign.

The omens are good for Milan, who have won their last three away matches against Napoli, all in Serie A, their joint longest away winning run against them. 

Milan have not reached the Champions League semi-finals since the 2006-07 season, when they went on to win the competition. They have only been eliminated twice after winning the first leg of a knockout tie – in 2003-04 v Deportivo de La Coruna in the quarter-final (4-1 first leg, 0-4 second leg) and 2012-13 v Barcelona in the last 16 (2-0 first leg, 0-4 second leg).

Napoli are, however, unbeaten in their last 12 home Champions League matches (W9 D3) since a 4-2 defeat to Manchester City in November 2017. They have won their four home games this season, scoring at least three goals in each victory.

That being said, Napoli have been eliminated from their last 10 European knockout ties after losing the first leg, last progressing to the next round after suffering a first-leg deficit in the 1988-89 UEFA Cup quarter-final against Juventus.

Olivier Giroud could be crucial for Milan. The veteran campaigner has been directly involved in six goals in nine appearances in the Champions League this season (four goals and two assists) – the most by a Milan player in a single campaign since Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the 2011-12 campaign (nine – five goals and four assists).

Real Madrid have taken aim at rivals Barcelona following Joan Laporta's 'club of the regime' allegations with a four-and-a-half-minute video.

Barcelona president Laporta leapt to his club's defence at a Monday press conference amid allegations they made payments to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, the former vice-president of the technical committee of referees.

The Blaugrana are subject to a UEFA investigation with prosecutors in Spain pursuing charges for alleged corruption. Barca are accused of having paid over €7million to a company owned by Negreira.

Laporta opted to turn the spotlight on Madrid when claiming his club have no case to answer, suggesting Real have "historically and currently" been favoured by arbitration decisions, attaching it to former Spanish dictator Francisco Franco.

That led Los Blancos to respond with an extraordinary and lengthy video which was broadcast on social media and Real Madrid TV, detailing Barcelona's links to Franco.

The video initially asked "which is the team of the regime?" in clear response to Laporta's comments before compiling its case.

"The Camp Nou was inaugurated by Franco's general minister, Jose Solis Ruiz," the video stated.

"Barcelona made Franco an honorary member in 1965… presented him with awards on three occasions."

The video also pointed out Barcelona's success in comparison to Madrid during the initial Franco era, 1939 until his death in 1975, along with that his administration helped save the club from bankruptcy three times.

Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti does not see an issue with Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly giving a speech to the Blues players in the dressing room.

Chelsea caretaker manager Frank Lampard revealed on Monday that Boehly routinely speaks to the team, saying he is fine with that being the case.

Former Blues boss Ancelotti said that if Lampard is comfortable with it, he does not think it is a problem.

Chelsea's 2-1 home defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday was their third loss in a row, and they are without a win in six (D2 L4), sitting in 11th place in the Premier League.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of Madrid's Champions League quarter-final second leg against Chelsea, Ancelotti said: "To have a speech from the owner could be an important thing for the players. The Chelsea moment is not a good moment... if the owner wants to talk to the players, absolutely."

However, he stopped short of signing off on the idea of Madrid president Florentino Perez doing the same in his dressing room.

"If [Perez] wants to talk to me every game, I would be happy to do that," he said. "The owner[/president] has the right to know what the decisions of the manager are."

Los Blancos take a 2-0 lead into the second leg at Stamford Bridge, and Ancelotti knows the job is not yet done, with his team almost throwing away a two-goal advantage at the same stage against the same opposition in last year's competition.

After winning 3-1 at Stamford Bridge, Madrid were 3-0 down in the return leg at the Santiago Bernabeu, only for a Rodrygo goal to send it to extra-time before Karim Benzema scored the winner.

"[We have] plenty of motivation," he said. "It's a big game, and we know we have to put in a good performance.

"There are still at least 90 minutes to play, and anything can happen, but we will be ready."

The Italian would not be drawn on links with Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham, with reports suggesting Madrid and Manchester City are at the front of the queue for the England international after Liverpool allegedly withdrew their interest due to finances.

"Unfortunately, Bellingham is a Dortmund player, and I don't like to talk about players of other teams. Sorry," Ancelotti said.

Frank Lampard has refuted suggestions Chelsea are "broken" as they prepare for their Champions League quarter-final second leg against Real Madrid.

The Blues welcome the defending European champions to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday after suffering a 2-0 loss in the away fixture last week.

Chelsea head into that game on the back of another defeat, losing at home to Brighton and Hove Albion to extend their winless Premier League run to five matches.

Lampard's side are 11th in the table – well below expectations, he acknowledged – but he does not believe they are beyond repair.

"We are not where we want to be, [but] I think the word 'broken' is a bit much," he said. "The league position is reality, and we are 2-0 down in this game. We have to work against that.

"I'm big on personal responsibility as a player and as a group. I'm not blaming anyone else. We have to address things now and going forward. It is a big part of the game.

"You do a lot of work and delve into data, statistics and output of games. This is not a question of player commitment; my job is to find ways we can get better to compete at this level."

Lampard was a player when Chelsea defied the odds with a remarkable run to Champions League glory under Roberto Di Matteo, another interim boss, in 2012.

But the idea of an upset against Madrid ranking alongside that triumph was swatted away by Lampard.

"I don't think anything that happens tomorrow will be better than when we won the Champions League," he said. "We had many difficult moments on that run.

"Considering the moment we are in and the team we are facing here, of course it would be special. I have no doubt it'll be positive [to play at home].

"I've been here too many times on a Champions League night at Stamford Bridge not to understand that the atmosphere is going to be great. It is down to us to engage the crowd. They can help us."

Joan Laporta claimed Real Madrid have always been favoured by referees as he labelled the capital club "the team of the regime".

Barca's president spoke at a press conference on Monday to robustly defend the club amid allegations they made payments to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, the former vice-president of the technical committee of referees.

The club are subject to a UEFA investigation with prosecutors in Spain pursuing charges for alleged corruption. Barca are accused of having paid over €7million to a company owned by Negreira.

Laporta, though, has insisted Barca have no case to answer, as he looked to turn the spotlight onto rivals Madrid.

"I want to mention a club which decided, on its own, to appear in court when the trial happens," Laporta said.

"A club saying that they feel wronged. A club, Real Madrid, which has historically been favoured by arbitration decisions. Historically and currently. A team that has been considered the team of the regime of the day due to its proximity to the power of the day. 

"They were the team of the system because they were close to the political and financial power. I think it's worth mentioning that for seven decades the big majority of the presidents of the technical committee of referees have been former members or players of Real Madrid.

"For 70 years the people who assigned the referees were former members or former Real Madrid players. In some cases, all of those at the same time.

"For this club to appear in trial and say they feel wronged for the best period in Barcelona's history, this trial will be used to take their masks off. It's an unprecedented exercise of impudence."

Laporta, who said the allegations represented "one of the most ferocious attacks in our history" reiterated Barca's innocence.

"Throughout our 123-year history, Barcelona has always been a model of fair play, both on and off the field," he said.

"If we have won for so many decades, it has undoubtedly been a result of effort, talent and knowledge.

"No campaign to discredit us will prevent us from continuing to be an organisation of reference in the world of sports that is beloved and admired by millions of Catalans and by many more millions of people around the world.

"I am fully convinced that Barcelona has never performed any act with the intention of altering the competition to gain an advantage.

"If there were any person or private entity outside Barcelona that had taken advantage of this context to commit irregularities, the club would be the first to fully investigate. Our image is at stake.

"Accusations must be proven. We live by the rule of law, which guarantees among its basic principles the presumption of innocence. I reiterate with all my resolve, I am convinced that Barcelona has not committed any crime of sports-related corruption. I hope that sooner rather than later, the club is fully exonerated.

"Consulting on technical-refereeing issues does not constitute any type of illegal act. Consulting – as is done by the big clubs – that was carried out transparently, with the corresponding invoices, at least in my first mandate as president."

Barca were held to a 0-0 draw by Getafe on Sunday, though they hold an 11-point lead at the top of LaLiga with nine games remaining.

Real Madrid are eager to rejuvenate their squad for coming seasons with investment set to come in the off season.

Los Blancos are set to finish second in the LaLiga title race to Barcelona who hold an 11-point lead with nine games to play.

The depth of the reigning European champions, who are in this season's quarter-finals, has been tested at times this term.

TOP STORY – MADRID BOSS TO SWOOP ON CHELSEA TALENT

Fichajes claims Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has identified Chelsea quartet Reece James, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Mason Mount and Mateo Kovacic as potential targets.

The latter three are all out of contract in 2024, meaning Los Blancos could sign them for free if they do not re-sign.

Perez is plotting to capitalise on Chelsea's downfall this term, with the club to miss next season's Champions League.

Kovacic previously spent three seasons at Santiago Bernabeu, while Mount has attracted interest from several top clubs given his quality and contract status.

ROUND-UP

– Lionel Messi wants to return to Barcelona when his Paris Saint-Germain contract expire at the end of this season, reports Fichajes. Messi will overlook offers from Saudi Arabia and MLS club Inter Miami to return to his former club.

– Manchester United are in pole position to sign French defender Axel Disasi from Monaco in the off season, claims Football Insider. Disasi is out of contract in 2025, with Chelsea and Manchester City also said to be interested.

– Liverpool have turned to Bayern Munich midfielder Ryan Gravenberch as an alternative to Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham, claims The Times.

– Calciomercatoweb claims Arsenal are still in the race to sign Juventus forward Dusan Vlahovic, despite stiff competition from Madrid and PSG .

– Toni Kroos is set to accept a contract extension offer from Madrid and re-commit to the club for another 12 months, reports Marca.

– Chelsea have met with ex-Bayern boss Julian Nagelsmann as they look for their next permanent manager, according to The Times.

Real Madrid are reportedly eager to bolster their full-back options, to upgrade from Dani Carvajal and Ferland Mendy.

Los Blancos were linked with Manchester City's Joao Cancelo - currently on loan at Bayern Munich - earlier this week by Fichajes.

The Spanish giants are set to miss out on this season's LaLiga title, with Barcelona leading by 10 points.

TOP STORY – MADRID KEEN ON LIVERPOOL'S TAA

Real Madrid will turn to Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold should they fail to land Reece James from Chelsea, claims Ekrem Konur.

Los Blancos are in the market for a new full-back and Konur claims Madrid could also turn to Bayer Leverkusen's Jeremie Frimpong.

Alexander-Arnold has had a mixed campaign for Liverpool, who appear set for a squad revamp in the off-season. The 24-year-old England full-back is contracted with the Reds until 2025.

ROUND-UP

– Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti is an admirer of Torino's 21-year-old midfielder Samuele Ricci with Los Blancos keeping tabs on his situation, according to Tuttosport.

– The Sunday Mirror claims Manchester City are leading the race to sign Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham from Real Madrid , with Liverpool having pulled out.

– Chelsea are looking to offer Romelu Lukaku as part of a deal with Atletico Madrid to sign Portuguese forward Joao Felix permanently, reports Fichajes. Chelsea are unwilling to pay Atletico's €100m asking fee, but may part with €70m along with the Belgian forward.

– Tottenham are tracking Barcelona winger Ansu Fati, reports Mundo Deportivo. The report suggests Spurs are willing to make him their most expensive transfer in club history.

– RB Leipzig are considering a move to sign Arsenal forward Folarin Balogun in the close season, claims Todofichajes. Balogun has impressed this season on loan with Reims .

– Chelsea have interviewed Sporting boss Ruben Amorim about taking over as manager next season, reports talkSPORT.

Carlo Ancelotti praised the "spectacular" attitude of his Real Madrid side in a 2-0 LaLiga win at Cadiz.

Los Blancos dominated the game at Estadio Nuevo Mirandilla on Saturday, registering more shots than any other team in a LaLiga match this season, with 35 attempts.

Madrid had to wait until Nacho's brilliant finish after 72 minutes to take the lead and Marco Asensio gave them breathing space four minutes later.

Vinicius Junior and Toni Kroos were not risked by Ancelotti ahead of Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final second leg at Chelsea due to muscle strains, while Luka Modric and Eduardo Camavinga came off the bench.

Dani Carvajal and David Alaba were unused substitutes as Madrid prepared for the game at Stamford Bridge, which they will start with a 2-0 aggregate lead, by cutting Barcelona's lead at the top of the table to 10 points.

Madrid head coach Ancelotti said: "The biggest impression for me is how the team played. It was a match well played, at an important point of the season.

"It wasn't easy preparing for it, but the players' attitude was spectacular."

Captain Karim Benzema failed to score despite having nine shots, hitting the crossbar from close range in the first half, but Ancelotti was impressed with the striker's contribution.

He said: "I saw him look so well, so fresh. I told him, 'I'll put you in [the team] and I'll take you off when you get tired'.

"I was a little sad because he didn't score, but it was a pleasure to see him. It was difficult to remove him because I wanted to enjoy watching him."

Ancelotti confirmed forward Vinicius and midfielder Kroos will be fit to face Chelsea in London.

He said: "They are here to play, they have already trained today and they will be at their best for Tuesday."

Two goals in the space of four minutes from Nacho and Marco Asensio secured a 2-0 LaLiga win for Real Madrid at Cadiz on Saturday.

Los Blancos dominated the game at Estadio Nuevo Mirandilla but were wasteful until Nacho opened the scoring with his first goal of the season after 72 minutes.

Asensio added a second soon after as Carlo Ancelotti's side moved 10 points behind leaders Barcelona at the expense of relegation-threatened Cadiz.

Ancelotti omitted Vinicius Junior and Toni Kroos ahead of the Champions League clash at Chelsea on Tuesday, while Luka Modric came off the bench late in an ultimately comfortable win.

Madrid started strongly but they were almost behind against the run of play when Cadiz captain Alfonso Espino let fly with a left-foot strike that rattled the far post.

Asensio and Karim Benzema were denied by alert Cadiz goalkeeper David Gil, although Los Blancos wanted a penalty for a tug on their captain before he got his shot away.

A left-foot shot from Benzema bounced down to safety off the crossbar after Rodrygo burst into the box from the left and Dani Ceballos' volley from a corner was palmed over by Gil as Madrid failed to find a first-half breakthrough.

Rodrygo was unable to beat Gil after racing clear early in the second half before the forward inexplicably side-footed wide from six yards out when Federico Valverde presented him with an open goal.

Madrid continued to dominate and Valverde wasted a glorious chance to break the deadlock after Asensio showed great awareness and quality to pick him out with a quickly taken corner.

With Madrid's frustration mounting, Nacho produced a quality right-foot finish from 20 yards out to finally open the scoring.

Asensio then cut in from the left to finish off with a slick move with a composed finish, sealing a deserved win.

Carlo Ancelotti has declared that he has no intention of leaving Real Madrid at the end of the season.

Ancelotti has enjoyed a glorious second spell as Los Blancos head coach after returning to the club in July 2021, winning the Champions League and LaLiga last season.

The wily Italian has also masterminded Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup glory, with Madrid in the hunt to lift the Champions League trophy once again this season and the Copa del Rey.

Barcelona are 13 points clear of Madrid at the top of La Liga, so it appears to be only a matter of time before the reigning champions are dethroned.

Ancelotti has just over a year remaining on his contract and the 63-year-old has been linked with the Brazil job, but he has no plans to bring his tenure in the Spanish capital to an end.

He told reporters on Friday: "I feel proud of everything, it [his second spell with Madrid] has been a success so far. I hope to continue, but I am proud of what I have achieved.

"I think [Madrid president Florentino] Perez supports me. The president is always very affectionate with me, we will be here next season without a doubt, I will respect the contract."

Ancelotti has come in for criticism from certain quarters this season and has taken it on the chin.

He added: "This is football, we've had success in some competitions, but you have to wait to judge. I listen to criticism, it's normal. We have to live in a world where you have to listen to the people, the club, the players.

"Some criticisms are understandable, others are not and what you can understand helps to improve."

Carlo Ancelotti would not swap Vinicius Junior for Erling Haaland, with the two looking likely to come up against one another in the Champions League semi-finals.

Both Manchester City and Real Madrid comfortably won their quarter-final first legs against Bayern Munich and Chelsea respectively, with star players Haaland and Vinicius shining again.

Haaland has scored an incredible 45 goals for City this season, while Vinicius has 21 goals and 14 assists in 45 appearances for Madrid.

While a prominent goal threat, Vinicius leads the way for Madrid in chances created (89) and expected assists (10.68), and only Eduardo Camavinga has made more appearances than the winger for Los Blancos this term.

Asked at a press conference ahead of Madrid's LaLiga trip to Cadiz if he would trade the Brazilian for the Norwegian, Ancelotti said: "No, what a question! 

"Each one has his own. Madrid takes advantage of Vinicius and [City manager Pep] Guardiola from Haaland."

Ancelotti confirmed he will be without Vinicius as well as Toni Kroos for Saturday's game at Cadiz, with both having adductor strains, but insisted it is merely a precaution.

Former Milan, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain boss Ancelotti also queried the notion that English clubs are often considered favourites for the Champions League, such as City this season.

Ancelotti masterminded wins over Chelsea, City and Liverpool last season on the way to becoming the first coach to win the Champions League on four occasions.

Madrid knocked out Liverpool this season and are 2-0 up against Chelsea after the first leg of their quarter-final.

"I'm not bothered, because the truth is that English football has teams that compete very well," he said. "It doesn't surprise me that the English are favourites, although Spanish football took two teams to the semi-finals last year, this year Italy has three in the quarter-finals. 

"The English think they have the strongest league, but outside there are other championships that continue to compete with less money, such as Spain and Italy."

Madrid were beaten 3-2 at home by Villarreal in their last league outing, now sitting 13 points behind leaders Barcelona with 10 games remaining.

Ancelotti insists his team will continue to give their all in LaLiga though, suggesting a club of Madrid's stature could not do less.

"We have to respect the competition and if we can't get to the first position, we have to be second," he said. 

"We wear a shirt that demands fighting until the end."