The comeback against PSG not only places Real Madrid among the top eight teams in the Champions 21-22, but it instils morale in the white troops, who had made the crossing before the French their Holy Grail. The communion with Bernabeuthe furious reaction of the team with everything against it and the footballing arguments shown in the last half hour against those of Pochettino whites’ options are relaunched. Enough to dream of the Saint Denis final or even the title?
The unmissable audio of RAC 1 after Madrid’s comeback: “Donnarumma, the one you just messed up”
The semis of 2021
Real Madrid hasn’t won the Champions since 2018 (Kiev, against Liverpool), in Cristiano’s last year, but we must not forget that last season, again with Zidane, reached the semifinals. He did it playing at home in the Di Stefano, with all that this implies on an emotional level, as could be verified against PSG. And, although the defeat against the Chelsea was incontestable, we must remember that the white team, despite the precarious physical condition of players like Ramos O Mendyremained with options practically until the last minute of the duel in Stamford Bridge. The final was far, but not so much. Certainly much less than 2019 and in 2020 (in the midst of a pandemic), seasons in which Madrid fell in the round of 16, first before the surprising Ajax of Ten Hag and then before the City of Guardiola.
Maldini: “It was because of the epic, because of the history, because of the shirt…”
Benzema Factor
Since the departure of Cristianoit is said that Madrid lacks a goal to aspire to the great prize of the season, which is none other than the conquest of the Champions. It happens that a footballer has emerged in the squad who has insisted on inheriting the flag that the Portuguese carried for a decade. It is none other than Benzema, the footballer who scored all three goals for Madrid against PSG on Wednesday. Benzema was Cristiano to sign the best game of his career in the European Cup. There are 30 goals in 33 games (plus twelve assists)with two and a half months to go before the final in Paris (May 28). How far can Benzema, whose top scorer is the 32 goals from 11-12, raise his goalscoring bar? The Whites’ options will largely depend on Karim’s devastating response against PSG.
The curious celebration of Alaba in the comeback of Real Madrid
the rivals
Benzema’s hat-trick against PSG to classify Madrid for the quarterfinals
Logically, we must put into perspective the potential of the rivals that Madrid could face in the draw on the 18th. For now, along with the whites, they are already Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Liverpool. The first two crushed Sporting from Portugal and Red Bull Salzburg, respectively, in their crosses of eighths. City scored five goals against the Portuguese at the José Alvalade, and Bayern scored seven against the Austrians at the Allianz. Liverpool, who managed a solid 0-2 against the Inter at San Siro, suffered more than expected at Anfield, where a goal from Lautaro He came close to sending the game into overtime.
For next week the rest of the round of 16 matches remain, almost all of them with an open forecast. The most popular is Chelsea-Lille, with a 2-0 in the first leg in favor of the English. The two Spanish teams that are still in the tournament, apart from Madrid, defend two draws at one in complicated stadiums: the Athletic at Old Trafford against Manchester United and the Villarreal at the Juventus Stadium against the Old lady. also open the Ajax-Benfica after the draw at two in Da Luz.
Champions League (eighth round): summary and goals of Real Madrid 3-1 PSG
league on track
Another factor that may have weight in determining Madrid’s European campaign is its situation in the Spanish league. The Whites enjoy a privileged position in the championship, with a lead of eight points over Sevilla, second classified, and fifteen over their historical rivals, Barcelona and Athletes. Carlo Ancelotti can therefore regulate efforts in the domestic tournament when the quarterfinals come (April 5/6 the way, 12/13 the return), taking into account that the Madrid coach is using a reduced group of players throughout the season.
The mystique of Madrid
It falls into the category of intangibles, but no one would dare to rule out his influence in the Champions League qualifiers to come. PSG already suffered it in the second leg of the round of 16. Both the team and the Madrid fans have a very special relationship with the European Cup, as evidenced in Wednesday’s game, which was imbued with the Whites’ mystique in the competition whose record they dominate with an iron fist. In addition, we must take into account the factor Bernabeu. The pandemic and the works banished the team to Di Stéfano for the last two seasons, and deprived the team of the warmth of its fans, which also transforms into European Cup nights.
