Opinion – Sandro Macedo: Real Madrid looks like that horror movie villain

A Spanish newspaper used the expression “the seven lives of Real Madrid” in the title of its report that explained how, in the name of the gods and demons of football, the team was still alive in the Champions League semi-final after being beaten up in Manchester by City. . Beaten, but not destroyed.

It wasn’t the best game of the European season – the best was Manchester City 2-2 Liverpool, in the Premier League, on the recent 10th of April. But the City 4 x 3 Real Madrid was the most fun of the year. And it could have been a 6-2 or even a 7-1, for those who like the score.

The point is that nobody seems to be able to kill Real this season. Or, when they do, he resurrects. In no Champions League knockout match this year has he been singled out as a favorite, but he’s there. He looks like that villain from a horror movie, from whom you run, run, run, and when you look back, he’s glued to you, with an ax in his hand — and Benzema’s face, for that matter.

In the first phase of the Champions League, Real already lost to Sheriff, from Moldova, in Madrid. But he was first in the group anyway.

In the round of 16, he caught the “nightmare of pot 2”, Paris Saint-Germain, Messi, Mbappé, Neymar, Donnarumma and all that gang. In the first game, in Paris, only PSG scored, but the winning goal was only at the end, 1-0. On the return, Mbappé scored another goal in the first half and left the classification on track. But… Real was resurrected, got a gift from goalkeeper Donnarumma, scored three goals in less than 20 minutes and eliminated the French.

Quarterfinals. Rival, Chelsea, the current champion of the competition. It was even stranger, because Real won 3-1 in London. However, on the way back, at home, he managed to concede three goals, almost four, and looked dead, without the strength to react. But he found a naughty little goal at the end of normal time and scored another in extra time. Again, they were resurrected. Played better? Not. But they got the spot. Benzema and his axe.

There was also, between a Champions League match and another, a domestic clash in Espanyol against the poor people of Barcelona, ​​a team already far away in the fight for the title. And Real were humiliated in their domains, they lost 4-0.

Then comes the duel against Manchester City by Pep Guardiola, a well-known barcelonista who has so often overtaken Real. And with less than 25 minutes it could have been 4-0 for City if it weren’t for the mistakes of Mahrez, one of the most hungry players in the western world. Instead of 4-0, it was just 2. And Real discounted.

But City made it 3-1 to control the duel. And the Real discounted again. But City scored a goal, 4-2, to give them a fair advantage. And Real discounted once again, resurrected. It was the most unfair 4-3 in 4-3 history — I don’t remember many.

And can a Real like that win the Champions League, again, for the 14th time? Worse than it can. Why? It has Karim Benzema, the best player of the current European season and terror of opponents, who run, run, run, but do not let go of the man (escorted by faithful squire Vinicius Junior).

Update – Round 38

It was 13 days without dismissal, but the dream is over. Abel Braga, who left Fluminense, is the new unemployed among the coaches of Serie A do Brasileiro. Now that’s four fired after three rounds (more or less). Dismissed: Brazilians 3 x 1 Foreigners. Survivors: Brazilians 8 x 8 Foreigners.