Thomas Tuchel: 'Chelsea have mixed feelings over Real Madrid tie'

Head coach Thomas Tuchel has acknowledged that he has been unsure how to process Chelsea's Champions League exit to Real Madrid on Tuesday night.

Trailing 3-1 from the first leg, Chelsea produced arguably their best performance of the campaign at the Santiago Bernabeu, going 3-0 ahead on the night and moving in front on aggregate before Real fought back to progress through to the semi-finals.

While Chelsea were eliminated 5-4 on aggregate, the Blues prevailed 3-2 on the night, and Tuchel has suggested that he has taken the positives from the level of his team's performance.

Speaking to reporters at a press conference, Tuchel said: "From confidence wise, I think it is a huge boost, but it is still a disappointment to go out of Champions League at quarter-final. Not a big drama, but a big disappointment because we feel that we could be one of the four teams in semi-final.

"That it a weird feeling because as you mention, we had a huge task to go to Madrid and need to win by a minimum of two goals to make it to extra time, and we were three goals ahead. In a knockout game in Bernabeu, this was a fantastic performance and stays like this, but still it tastes bitter because we are out of Champions League."

Chelsea will attempt to keep their hopes of a third piece of silverware for the season alive when they face Crystal Palace in the FA Cup semi-finals on Sunday afternoon.