Gündogan: “Real Madrid have a brutal team”

Ilkay Gündogan, 31, spoke about the tie that pits his team, Manchester City, against Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals. In an interview on the German sports channel Sport 1, the midfielder talked about the great players that Real Madrid has, Benzema’s merits to opt for the Ballon d’Or and the duel that his team has with Liverpool to be champions of the Premier League.

The pulse with Liverpool for the Premier: “It’s an exciting and hectic race for both us and the fans. Liverpool are incredibly strong and feel like they win every game. It forces us to stay focused and not allow any slip-ups. That keeps the tension high at all times. You play football to see yourself in situations like this. We may have to win every game to end up as champions.”

City’s strengths: “We are a top team that is strong and versatile, both individually and collectively. As a team we have grown together, sportingly and individually, and we approach each match with the highest level of concentration. If we continue like this over the next few weeks, we will finish first.”

The Champions League semi-final tie against Madrid: “It’s a bombshell. A team that has beaten PSG and Chelsea is necessarily going to be a tough nut to crack. We are aware of that. It’s a brutal team that they put on the pitch. Karim Benzema, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos … All of them have been performing consistently at an incredible high level for an eternity. There is Vinicius, who is also playing very well, especially this season… I think we can expect a much more offensive game than against Atlético.”

Will Benzema be the next Ballon d’Or?: “Right now Benzema is for me, along with Lewandowski, the best striker in the world. He goes well with both feet and also with his head. I think that in the past he has often been undervalued and now he is punishing his critics, who They were wrong. For a long time he was overshadowed by Cristiano Ronaldo, especially in the media, but now he is getting the attention he deserves. He lets his achievements speak for themselves. Benzema has what it takes to be a Ballon d’Or “.