Highlights and reactions as Real Madrid, Villarreal knock out Chelsea and Bayern to reach last four

Catch up with all the highlights and post-match reactions from an enthralling night of Uefa Champions League action, where Spanish sides Real Madrid and Villarreal advanced at the expense of Chelsea and Bayern Munich.

Real Madrid 2-3 Chelsea (Madrid advance 5-4 on aggregate AET)

Luka Modric turned the tie and Karim Benzema settled it as Real Madrid held off a sensational fightback from Chelsea on Tuesday to win an enthralling Champions League quarter-final 5-4 on aggregate.

Chelsea wiped out Madrid’s 3-1 lead from the first leg in stunning fashion at the Santiago Bernabeu as Mason Mount, Antonio Rudiger and Timo Werner put Europe’s reigning champions on the brink of an incredible victory.

But the 36-year-old Modric intervened with another moment of genius to add to the very best of his glittering career, a sumptuous pass with the outside of his right foot setting up Rodrygo to volley in and send a nerve-shredding contest into extra time.

After scoring a hat-trick at Stamford Bridge, Benzema then stepped forward to claim the winner, the Frenchman capitalising on a Rudiger slip to head in, a 3-2 defeat enough to see Madrid into the semi-finals.

“You can never think anything is lost at the Bernabeu,” said Carlo Ancelotti afterwards. “I can’t explain it but there is a magic in this stadium that helps you.”

At the final whistle, Modric and Benzema dropped to the floor, their combined 70 years of age belying another two vintage contributions that have dragged Real Madrid in sight of a 14th European Cup.

They will face either Manchester City or rivals Atletico Madrid in the last four.

After being thrashed by Brentford and then outplayed by Madrid in the first leg last week, Chelsea came in rejuvenated after putting six past Southampton in the Premier League last weekend.

Thomas Tuchel said on Monday they would need a “fantastic script” to pull off this comeback and they certainly delivered that, their only failing an inability to prevent Modric and Benzema doing what they have done so many times before.

“We were unlucky, that’s why we’re disappointed,” said Tuchel. “We got beaten by pure individual quality and our own mistakes. We deserved to go through.”

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Bayern Munich 1-1 Villarreal (Villarreal advance 2-1 on aggregate)

Villarreal dumped Bayern Munich out of the Champions League on Tuesday, Samuel Chukwueze’s 88th-minute strike at the Allianz Arena giving the Spaniards a 1-1 draw in the second leg of their quarter-final tie that took them through 2-1 on aggregate.

Robert Lewandowski had put Bayern ahead on the night to level the tie on aggregate after Villarreal’s 1-0 first-leg win, and extra time loomed until Chukwueze struck.

Unai Emery’s Villarreal continued their remarkable European run, having also surprised Juventus in the last 16 with a 3-0 win in Turin.

“We suffered against Juventus, we suffered against Bayern, but we are now in the semi-finals,” said Villarreal captain Raul Albiol (36), the Man of the Match in Munich.

“Now we can dream of going even further.”

Villarreal are into the semi-finals for the first time since 2006.

They will play either Liverpool or Benfica in the last four. The English side take a 3-1 lead into Wednesday’s second leg at Anfield.

The result means Bayern Munich exit the Champions League in the quarter-finals for the second year running.

“It is extremely bitter that we concede a goal despite this performance,” said Bayern forward Thomas Mueller.

“We pressed, pressed, pressed and there was no way we were going to concede a goal.”

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