LONDON (Reuters) - Thomas Tuchel added Zinedine Zidane to his list of victims as the German's stunning transformation of Chelsea continued on Wednesday with his vibrant side eclipsing Real Madrid to reach the Champions League final in style. But with Tuchel having taken Chelsea from ninth in the Premier League to fourth, into the FA Cup final and now into their first Champions League final since 2012, few would deny that hiring the 47-year-old was anything other than a masterstroke. Wednesday's 2-0 cruise past 13-times European champions Real Madrid for a 3-1 aggregate win, a scoreline that flattered the Spaniards, was Chelsea's 18th clean sheet under Tuchel. Zidane was looking to secure his fourth Champions League semi-final progression, a feat managed only by Alex Ferguson, Carlo Ancelotti and Marcello Lippi. He will have to outwit Pep Guardiola in Istanbul as Chelsea take on Premier League champions-elect Manchester City in the second all-English Champions League final in three years.

Source: The Star May 05, 2021 23:11 UTC