While Frank Lampard's name has hardly been forgotten by the Blues' fans - there were chants outside Stamford Bridge before kick-off on Wednesday - new manager Thomas Tuchel is quickly creating his own legacy after leading the London club into the Champions League final against Manchester City.

Chelsea even made Real Madrid look pedestrian as goals from Timo Werner and Mason Mount sealed a 2-0 victory that ousted the record 13-time European Cup champions 3-1 on aggregate.

Perhaps the stragglers leaving the bars near Stamford Bridge could hear the roar Tuchel let out on the field inside the empty stadium long after his players had departed the field.

It will certainly have been heard in the Chelsea boardroom by the directors whose decision to dismiss Lampard in January and hire Tuchel now seems vindicated.

"I am very grateful and thankful to have this opportunity," said Tuchel, who'd been dismissed by Paris Saint-Germain in December despite leading the French club to last year's Champions League final.

"You can never be ahead of plan as a manager and as a player - it does not exist."

Just like when owner Roman Abramovich made mid-season managerial changes in the 2007-08 and 2011-12 seasons, Chelsea will end the campaign by contesting the biggest game in European football.

And by the end of the month two Champions League trophies could be at Stamford Bridge, with Chelsea the first club to reach the men's and women's finals in the same season.

Even though the men's showpiece will be an all-English encounter on May 29, the Premier League rivals will have to fly four hours to play the UEFA showpiece in Istanbul, which is currently in a coronavirus lockdown.

While City have never lifted the European Cup, Chelsea's only triumph came in 2012 when the 22-year-old Mount was in the youth system.

Chelsea were five points outside the Champions League qualification places when Tuchel was hired, but head into the final four games of the Premier League season in fourth place with a three-point cushion.

There's a chance to pick up a trophy before the trip to Turkey, too, with an FA Cup final against Leicester City on May 15 after beating City in the semi-finals.

Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane is left to focus on trying on wiping out Atletico Madrid's two-point lead in Spain to retain their La Liga title, rather than adding to the three Champions League trophies he won from 2016 to 2018.

"I think we tried, but the truth is today Chelsea were superior and we have to congratulate them," Zidane said.

"It was complicated throughout the match because they had many chances to score more goals and they deserved their victory."

Australian Associated Press