If we keep playing like this we will lose at Southampton and Real Madrid, proclaims Thomas Tuchel

Chelsea hosted Real Madrid in the first leg of the quarter-finals of the Champions League on Wednesday. The Blues started the game brightly but were unable to prevent Karim Benzema from opening the scoring in the 21st minute as he thumped his header into the top corner.

 The French striker doubled his side's lead in the 24th minute as he guided a header into the goal following a pinpoint cross from Luka Modric. The English side pulled one back just before the back as Kai Havertz scored a powerful header past Thibaut Courtois. 

The Spanish giants started the second half in formidable style as Edouard Mendy's blunder allowed Benzema to slot the ball home and complete his hattrick. Chelsea could be on the brink of a quarterfinals exit if they don't turn the tie around in the second leg at Spain and Tuchel has admitted that they need to improve their dismal performance to secure victories in the upcoming games.

"We don't have to go to Madrid, we have to go Southampton and it is very important to process this. It is crucial that we go to Southampton. If we keep playing like this we will lose at Southampton and then we will get hammered at the Bernabeu. It is a heavy loss. It was one of the worst first halves that I saw from us here at Stamford Bridge. Individually and as a team it was by far not enough. It was far from our standards and then you lose games,” Tuchel told BT Sport.

"Passing, where we passed, how we passed, when we passed, when we attacked, the ball possession game... first half was so from any standards that we set ourselves that we cannot complain when we lose,” he added.