Benzema, Liverpool’s nightmare and Real… off at “8”

And again towards… repeat pulls! THE Real Madrid having won 5-2 in the first match at “Anfield”, he did excellent management in the rematch with Liverpool and finally reached a second victory, this time with 1-0to qualify… off to the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

The European champion saw him Benzema finding the net again to give them victory, with the French ‘killer’ being Liverpool’s… nightmare and having scored 8 times against them, the most of any player in the top club competition.

For the 19th time in the quarterfinals Real Madrid -from 1992 onwards- while he continued his tradition when he wins the first match he qualifies (27 out of 28 counts). The 6-2 aggregate score of the two games is the heaviest Liverpool have suffered in their history in the knockout stages of the Champions League, while the -six- European eliminations of the “reds” with Jurgen Klopp only Spanish teams have come to the bench!

The match

Explosive pace in the first half, with the ball going up and down and phases succeeding each other. Logical in part, since the Liverpool they were forced to chase a goal at the start or at least in the first half, since they were looking for a win by three goals to send the match to extra time or by… more to complete the miracle and qualify! Against her, of course, she doesn’t have a… victim but her Real of 14 trophies.

THE Bath tubs and Salah were the most dangerous footballers, with the first having a great phase in the 7th minute to freeze the Bernabeu, with Real to rely at the same time on the individual actions of Vinicius and the acumen of Modric to threaten. Kroos, Vinicius, Kamavinga and Modric they had great opportunities to give Madrid the lead, with Liverpool constantly coming out with great conditions but doing… poorly in the final third of the pitch. THE Courtois he made a big intervention in the 33rd minute in his shot Bath tubs and the 0-0 remained until the end of the half.

Alisson kept a clean sheet in the 53rd minute against Valverde, with Klopp seeing his team wear down and … frustration afterwards and substitute Nunes, Zota. The rate was certainly lower, o Benzema he had his chance to score but didn’t, while Liverpool’s players… tired it out in the 77th minute when they had space and time to threaten but preferred tiki-taka. In the end, Liverpool’s nightmare Karim Benzema scored after Vinicius’ assist to make it 1-0, his 8th goal against the “reds”.

With the score not changing until the final, with the referee doing an on-field review for Tsimika’s penalty in the 92′ (he had entered a minute earlier in the match) but disagreeing with the VAR and 1-0 being the final result.

MVP: Thibaut Courtois makes two big interventions, one in the 7th minute and one in the 33rd minute on Nunes keeping it 0-0 and clipping the wings and hopes of the Liverpool players to chase an upset.