Thomas Tuchel said Chelsea's first half performance against Real Madrid on Wednesday was one of the worst he's seen by his side at Stamford Bridge.
Two goals from Karim Benzema gave Real Madrid a signifiant advantage before Kai Havertz got one back for the home side five minutes before the break.
Just as it looked Chelsea were back in the Champions League quarter-final, a terrible mistake from goalkeeper Edouard Mendy shortly after half-time allowed Benzema to complete his hat-trick and put Madrid ahead 3-1.
Benzema is just the fourth player to score hat-tricks in consecutive Champions League appearances following Luiz Adriano in 2014/15, and Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in 2016/17.
Benzema hat-trick downs Chelsea
What was Mendy doing?! 🤯
The Chelsea keeper gifts Benzema his HAT-TRICK! 🎩⚪️#UCL pic.twitter.com/qLovvtdBLa
— Watch the UCL on LiveScore 🇮🇪 (@LiveScoreIE) April 6, 2022
Asked in the post-match press conference if he felt the tie was still alive, Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel replied: "No. Not at the moment, no.
"Because we have to find our level back, I don’t know where it is since the international break, but the first-half is a repetition of the second-half against Brentford, in a quarter-final against Real Madrid.
"We were so far off our level in everything the game demands. You cannot expect a result from this kind of performance. We have to get things ready for Saturday at Southampton and we can’t think about the Bernabeu today.
"We face Southampton on Saturday and if we continue to play like this we will not get a point."
OH MY WORD BENZEMA! 🤩⚪️#UCL pic.twitter.com/yOl5rW2kCR
— Watch the UCL on LiveScore 🇮🇪 (@LiveScoreIE) April 6, 2022
Tuchel said he was not worried about how him saying the tie was dead would affect the Chelsea players.
"If you want to put it on this sentence, put it on this sentence, honestly," he said.
"I worry more about Southampton on Saturday than Real Madrid on Tuesday. If we don’t get our heads and legs straight and our mentality right we will not win. And then this tie is not alive.
"If things change, maybe, but how many clubs in worldwide football could do what we need, three goals difference? How often does this happen?
"Let’s be honest, we know we are competitive and we need to find our competitive quality and then we can talk.
"I think personally there was enough where we could hurt them but we were so far off our level of everything the game demands, tactically, shape, stiffness, in challenges.
"It’s on all of us, I’m included in this. Individually we lost shape and sharpness in the national break.
"I don’t have really an explanation because we have fallen from being very, very competitive.
"For the situation on the flank with Christensen, it was my mistake. Also though, in five days it’s seven goals conceded.
"I don’t think there’s a deeper reason for it. But it’s alarming because in two games seven goals. But nothing has changed."
Kai Havertz for Chelsea in the Champions League 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏 😎🔵
The German proving once again he's the man for the big occasion as he gets Chelsea back in this one! #UCL pic.twitter.com/c1ZlOUYdbU
— Watch the UCL on LiveScore 🇮🇪 (@LiveScoreIE) April 6, 2022
See Also: Guardiola Says Man City Need To 'Control Emotions' Against Atletico
