Chelsea owner Todd Boehly was left with egg on his face after his pre-match prediction for Chelsea’s Champions League quarter-final first-leg clash at Real Madrid went horribly wrong.
The Blues travelled to Spain on Wednesday evening looking to earn a positive result ahead of the second leg at Stamford Bridge next week. However, they struggled to cope with the reigning champions and also had Ben Chilwell red-carded in a 2-0 defeat that could actually have been far worse.
Karim Benzema opened the scoring in the first-half as he latched onto Vinicius Jr’s clever cross. That advantage was doubled by Marco Asensio from range after Chilwell had recieved his marching orders for a last-man challenge.
The defeat has left the Stamford Bridge outfit staring down the barrel of a European exit in what has been a disastrous season for the club.
American businessman Boehly has financed a huge outlay on new players since taking over in west London.
However, he’s been roundly criticised for some of his transfer dealings and also his managerial appointments. And his latest comments, prior to the match in Madrid, have now made him look even more foolish.
Boehly prediction falls flat
Asked by reporters what he was expecting of the game, he said: “Chelsea’s going to win. 3-0.”
Boehly was then asked further for his thoughts on the season as a whole and if he had a message for the frustrated Chelsea faithful, adding: “I say have a lot of faith and we’re going to win 3-0 tonight.
“We look at this as a very long-term process and we had a lot of work to do. We’re excited about the future. The future is bright and we’re excited about tonight.”
Marco Asensio makes it 2-0!! 🙌
Chelsea caught off guard as the European champions double their lead! 🔥#UCL pic.twitter.com/RARqLDxocX
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) April 12, 2023
Chelsea are now left chasing a minor miracle against a Real side who know how to produce strong results and performances on English soil.
The Blues are also struggling domestically and currently sit 11th in the Premier League table, 17 points off the Champions League places.
They are next in action on Saturday when they host a high-flying Brighton side at The Bridge before the return against Real next Tuesday night.