It was the Blues who looked the livelier and more positive of the two sides right from the start at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano, as we took an early lead in a high-intensity first half.

Timo Werner had already forced a good save from former Blues goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois when Pulisic found the net inside the first 15 minutes. After bringing down Antonio Rudiger's scooped pass in the box, the winger showed great composure to dribble past Courtois and send a shot between the two defenders guarding the net.

However, experienced striker Karim Benzema, who provided Real Madrid's only real threat, pulled them level from a corner soon after clipping the outside of the post with an effort from range.

The second half couldn't live up to the enthralling first 45 minutes on a rain-soaked pitch, but it was the Blues who will take the narrowest of advantages into next week's delicately poised return leg at Stamford Bridge.

The selection

Mateo Kovacic was the only player unavailable, as injury prevented him from facing his former club, meaning Jorginho and N'Golo Kante continued as the midfield pairing with Thomas Tuchel keeping faith in the same starting line-up that defeated West Ham United on Saturday.

That meant Cesar Azpilicueta continued captaining the side from wing-back, with Ben Chilwell on the other flank, and a front three of Mason Mount, Christian Pulisic and Timo Werner. Antonio Rudiger, Thiago Silva and Andreas Christensen made up the back three, ahead of goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.

Real Madrid matched up with our back three, despite the absence of defenders Sergio Ramos and Ferland Mendy, with key midfielder Toni Kroos returning to their team. Former Blues winger Eden Hazard started on the bench for Los Blancos, while fellow ex-Blue Thibaut Courtois was in goal.

Energetic opening

As you would expect for a game of this magnitude, there was plenty of intensity in the early stages, as both teams attempted to stop the opposition from building from the back or enjoying comfortable possession and time on the ball anywhere on the pitch.

Courtois had to produce a big save to prevent us taking the lead inside the first 10 minutes. Mount won the ball in midfield and broke forward at pace, beating two men before taking on the shot. His effort was deflected and looped to the back post, were Pulisic headed back across goal to Werner, but Courtois saved the German’s shot with his feet.

We were making an impressive start, as Courtois saved from Werner again, this time a powerful low shot from range, and then the striker was inches away from getting on the end of Cesar Azpilicueta’s low cross at full stretch.

Deserved lead

We did soon have the goal our fine start to the game had earned, though. Antonio Rudiger found Pulisic in behind with a scooped pass over the Real Madrid back line, and the American showed great technique and composure.

After bringing the ball under control, he looked, used Werner’s run to draw defenders away, and calmly dribbled around Courtois before slotting a shot between two men on the line and into the back of the net.

As the rain began to fall in Spain, we increasingly seemed to have the upper hand in the first half, with our constant pressing causing Real Madrid plenty of problems, while our own ability to escape the home team’s press was creating space for us to attack.

However, Real Madrid’s threat can never be discounted, as shown when Karim Benzema clipped the outside of the post with a long shot which came out of nothing, but briefly looked destined for the top corner with Edouard Mendy reduced to the status of a spectator.

Level again

Unfortunately that warning wasn’t heeded, and it was the Frenchman who drew Real Madrid level against the run of play. A short corner resulted in Marcelo crossing from the left and when Casemiro headed it back across goal, Benzema showed his experience to cushion the ball with his head and then volley past Mendy from close range.

That goal briefly seemed to add an extra spring to Real Madrid’s step in what was now a torrential downpour, but we soon found our rhythm again. At one point as we edged towards half-time, all 20 outfield players were within 40 yards of the Real Madrid goal, before Thiago Silva took the opportunity to drive a powerful shot into the crowded box, which was deflected wide for a corner.

We started the second half just as brightly as the first, with Mount turning sharply away from two defenders on the left, but his cross was too close to Courtois. Real still hadn’t learned to deal with our press, as Kante won possession and quickly fed Werner, but this time his shot was charged down by Raphael Varane.

Tactics take over

Los Blancos had seemed to have learned one lesson from the first half, though, as every time the ball went into Werner he found himself instantly under pressure from two defenders, as the Spaniards tried to remove him and his pace as an outlet for our attacks.

That was a sign that the full-throttle approach to the game we had instigated was making way for something more measured as the tempo dropped a bit, which suited the hosts more than us, given the success we had enjoyed earlier in the game.

The result was a much more even match with little in the way of further chances as we entered the final 30 minutes. That prompted changes from both managers, with Tuchel going for a triple substitution as Reece James, Hakim Ziyech and Kai Havertz all came on for Azpilicueta, Werner and goalscorer Pulisic. For Real Madrid, it was the familiar face of Eden Hazard who was introduced to make his first appearance against Chelsea since leaving the club in 2019.

The extra energy from those substitutes seemed to be exactly what we needed, as we followed that break in play by penning Real Madrid back in their own penalty area for the next five minutes, and then Ziyech charged into the left channel and squared across goal, but Havertz couldn’t get on the end of it in the middle.

Zidane clearly wasn’t happy with what he was seeing, choosing to abandon their formation and revert to a back four, but Havertz almost caught them napping as they adjusted to the new shape, producing a direct run and excellent piece of skill, before being brought down by Varane. Ziyech got the resulting free-kick on target, but his effort couldn’t beat Courtois at the near post.

It was still Chelsea showing the intensity and urgency as we entered the last 10 minutes, particularly Kante, who embarked on the latest in a series of dangerous darts forward on the ball.

Real Madrid were looking increasingly content to play safe, rather than risk trying to get forward on the ball, given the pressure Chelsea were applying, but the home side did enjoy a dangerous spell of possession in the final five minutes, with deflected efforts from Kroos and Varane worrying Mendy before bouncing wide.

In the end, a draw may have been a fair result, even if we had shown the vast majority of the attacking intent, and leaves the tie finely poised at the halfway mark.

What's next?

We are back at Stamford Bridge to host our closest neighbours Fulham in the Premier League at 5.30pm on Saturday, before Real Madrid come to west London for the second leg of this Champions League semi-final tie next Wednesday evening.

Chelsea (3-4-3): Mendy; Christensen, Thiago Silva, Rudiger; Azpilicueta (c) (James 66), Kante, Jorginho, Chilwell; Mount, Werner (Havertz 66), Pulisic (Ziyech 66)

Unused subs: Caballero, Kepa, Alonso, Emerson, Zouma, Gilmour, Hudson-Odoi, Abraham, Giroud

Scorer: Pulisic 14

Booked: Pulisic 38

Real Madrid (3-5-2): Courtois; Eder Militao, Varane, Nacho; Carvajal (Odriozola 77), Modric, Casemiro, Kroos, Marcelo (c) (Asensio 77); Benzema (Rodrygo 90+2), Vinicius (Hazard 66)

Unused subs: Altube, Lunin, Gutierrez, Blanco, Isco, Arribas, Diaz

Scorer: Benzema 29

Booked: Vinicius 27, Kroos 60, Marcelo 65, Varane 78, Odriozola 89

Referee: Danny Makkelie