Real Madrid cruises to an easy victory over 10-man Chelsea.

Real Madrid dominated 10-man Chelsea on Wednesday, taking a 2-0 first-leg lead in the Champions League quarterfinals thanks to goals from Karim Benzema and Marco Asensio.

The current champions and record winners easily defeated Frank Lampard's team despite having Ben Chilwell dismissed in the second half for bringing down Rodrygo Goes as he was advancing on goal.

After 21 minutes, Benzema scored from close range after Kepa Arrizabalaga deflected a Vinicius Junior shot in his direction.

Madrid was in complete control of the game, but it took until the 74th minute for them to score their second, which came from Asensio drilling home from the edge of the box following a quick corner routine.

Madrid put on a strong performance in a matchup of the last two Champions League champions, while Chelsea showed why they are struggling in 11th place in the Premier League.

Toni Kroos and Luka Modric, two seasoned midfielders, served as Carlo Ancelotti and Lampard's primary playmakers while they were both coaches at Chelsea from 2009 to 2011.

After concerns about injuries, Lampard, who took over as manager last week after Graham Potter retired, immediately started Thiago Silva and N'Golo Kante.

As Chelsea defeated Madrid in the 2021 semifinals to win the trophy for the second time, Kante shone against Madrid. Kante was also a plus for Lampard because he started the game by setting up Joao Felix for a goal.

The Portuguese forward fired a low shot at Thibaut Courtois while on loan from Los Blancos' rivals Atletico Madrid.

In the second leg against the Blues, Benzema, who scored a hat-trick at Stamford Bridge the previous season, forced Kepa into a deft save at his near post.

Fede Valverde received support from Madrid supporters prior to the game after he was accused of punching Alex Baena of Villarreal on Saturday, and he almost gave them back with a piledriver that just missed the mark.

The hosts scored their first goal shortly after, and it was undoubtedly Benzema's easiest goal against Chelsea.

Dani Carvajal lofted a seductive ball over the top, and even though Vinicius' attempt was stopped by Kepa's fingertips, Benzema was left with a straightforward tap-in.

Raheem Sterling almost immediately equalized for Chelsea, but Courtois made an incredible save to stop him.

Vinicius nearly scored a second goal at the other end after gliding past Wesley Fofana, but Silva stayed alert and deflected his dinked attempt away from danger.

As Madrid played around with their opponents, keeping them for extended periods of time in their box, Kepa stopped Rodrygo and David Alaba.

This season, Chelsea has had a dreadful time scoring goals, and after their early chances, they have found it challenging to develop their offense.

Early in the second half, as Ancelotti's team sought to put the match beyond doubt, Modric curled a beautiful effort onto the roof of the net.

Before the hour mark, Chilwell pulled back Rodrygo as he was running through on goal and was given a straight red card, making Chelsea's already difficult situation even more difficult.

When Asensio slipped a shot between Fofana's legs and into the bottom corner to double the hosts' lead, it made things even worse for the Londoners.

In extra time, Benzema might have added another goal, but after Kepa shoved a cross in his path, he headed off-target.

Mason Mount was successfully stopped by Antonio Rudiger late in the game, ensuring that his former team could not carry any momentum into the second leg.

The winner will play either Manchester City or Bayern Munich in the semifinals after Chelsea hosts Madrid on Tuesday.