18 April 2023 , 06:30
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As Frank Lampard chases an unlikely Champions League comeback against Real Madrid, the Chelsea caretaker manager will be looking for all the positive signs he can find.
There's last season's efforts, of course, when a Thomas Tuchel-managed Blues side forced extra-time against Los Blancos despite losing the first leg 3-1 at Stamford Bridge. They were eventually beaten by Karim Benzema's extra-time winner, but there's a recognition that the reigning European champions aren't completely unflappable.
On a personal level, though, Lampard may want to look even further back. Chelsea had a two-goal deficit to make up against Napoli in 2012, with Lampard on the pitch and another former Blues midfielder in the dugout, and they did just that.
To say Chelsea's 2011-12 season started poorly would be an understatement. At least is would be if we weren't looking at it from the vantage point of their 2022-23 campaign.
Chelsea jumped at the chance to pick up in-demand manager Andre Villas-Boas after the Portuguese's exploits at Porto, parting ways with Carlo Ancelotti to hire their new boss. Villas-Boas didn't even last the season, though, leaving with the team three points outside the Champions League qualification spots after a 1-0 defeat at West Brom.
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One of the manager's other parting gifts for caretaker successor Roberto di Matteo was a 3-1 loss at Napoli in the round of 16 in Europe. The Blues had won their group, but an Ezequiel Lavezzi double at Stadio San Paolo left them facing an uphill battle to qualify.
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Roberto Di Matteo's first Champions League game in charge of Chelsea was one to remember (GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images)A 1-0 win against 10-man Stoke in Di Matteo's first league game wasn't exactly a ringing endorsement. It was a second win under the Italian, though, following a victory over second-tier Birmingham in the FA Cup.
The issue was the opposition. Not only had Napoli won their home leg, but they were coming off five straight Serie A victories as they looked to recover from a slow league start of their own.
Walter Mazzarri's side had scored first in all those domestic games, though, so there was still a question of what might happen if Chelsea opened the scoring at Stamford Bridge. Juan Mata's opener in Naples didn't lead to victory, but there was a belief when Didier Drogba fired the Blues ahead in front of their own fans.
Frank Lampard's penalty took the game to extra-time (Tommy Hindley/Professional Sport/Popperfoto via Getty Images/Getty Images)John Terry briefly gave Chelsea the advantage on away goals, only for a belting Gokhan Inler finish to make it advantage Napoli going into the final half hour. Then, with just under 20 minutes remaining, Andrea Dossena handled in the box and Lampard stepped up to slam the ball home from the penalty spot.
That was enough to force extra-time, and Branislav Ivanovic finally completed the turnaround. The rest is history, with Di Matteo going on to lead Chelsea to European glory, but the Italian's response to overcoming Napoli made allusions to the belief which would help them go all the way.
"It meant to a lot to the club to be able to still play in the Champions League," Di Matteo told UEFA. "Everybody was very happy and delighted; you could see what it meant to the players and I am delighted with the performance.
"I've had some great nights but this will probably go down in club history. With how the players performed, tonight, they showed passion and that they care about the team and the supporters. It will give us a big boost for the rest of the season."
Lampard has a chance to emulate Di Matteo (PA)Chelsea lost just one of their next seven league games, away at eventual champions Manchester City, and made progress in both the FA Cup and Champions League. Liverpool were eventually put to the sword at Wembley, earning Chelsea's interim boss his first trophy, but Europe was the real prize as late-season league reverses made a top-four finish impossible.
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Lampard had a part to play on the continent, too, putting away another penalty in the quarter-final victory over Benfica. A dramatic triumph over Pep Guardiola's Barcelona followed in the semis, before the even more unlikely victory over Bayern Munich at the Bavarians' own home ground.
"We had a feeling things were going our way, but we thoroughly worked hard for it as well," Di Matteo would tell BT Sport years later. "You don't get luck by sitting at home on your sofa, you need to work to have that bit of luck."
Luck will certainly be required on Tuesday against a Real Madrid side who haven't lost a Champions League tie by more than one goal since back in May 2021. That defeat came at Stamford Bridge, though, against a Chelsea side who just a few months prior had been managed by none other than Frank Lampard.