Real Madrid lives subscribed to the epic in this Champions League. The Whites, whose legend in Europe as the all-time top winner has been based on winning as a great maxim, have always felt the phenomenon of the comeback at the Santiago Bernabéu as their own.
This season they add two, one in each round. In the round of 16, Real Madrid, led by Karim Benzema, dropped Paris Saint-Germain after a very complicated first leg (1-0) and a second leg that began to go wrong with another goal from Kylian Mbappé. The Lyon striker signed the three goals to avoid falling.
In the quarterfinals, after another hat-trick by Benzema in London, Chelsea looked comfortable at the Santiago Bernabéu and entered like a yellow and blue gale until they made it 0-3 in the electronics at the white coliseum, still under renovation. Luka Modric and Rodrygo appeared there to save the extension and invent the 1-3 and, again, Benzema and Vinicius to once again impose themselves on the blue defense and make it 2-3 that certified the pass.
Except for the very complicated first leg in Paris and the most choral performance in London, the Santiago Bernabéu and this Champions League is seeing how Madrid advances thanks to the best performance of his career in this competition from his great stars.
Among all the names on the squad, one stands out, that of Karim Benzema. The Frenchman has ‘his’ Real Madrid and is giving the best level of his career when it comes to scoring goals. In the Champions League, the second leg in Paris and the first leg in London are possibly his best matches in the competition and even on his most ‘normal’ day in the second leg against Chelsea (he controlled the white 9 very well), he gave a crossbar and headed the final goal. His finishing ability was more than seen in a tie in which he has prevailed by scoring goals against central defenders of the stature of Rüdiger, Thiago Silva or Christensen, who are neither exactly short nor do they do poorly in the air.
Benzema signs his best Champions League by numbers alone with seven goals in four qualifying games and a total of 12 in nine games in the entire competition. Some discomfort in the knee prevented him from being in the last day of the group stage and makes it difficult for him to reach the record of 17 goals achieved by Cristiano Ronaldo in 13-14, in which Benzema himself contributed. The fall of Lewandowski and his key role in the European campaign and in LaLiga also bring him closer to the Ballon d’Or.
His best partners have been Luka Modric and Vinicius Jr. Honoring the ‘veterans and novices’ of the classic white anthem, the Croatian and the Brazilian feed the beast that the 9 wears and also sign personal bests in this competition. In addition to his great performance in general, assisting Rodrygo from the outside in the 1-3 against Chelsea certified Luka Modri’s best European season as the final passerc. This, in addition, has given three decisive goals: 2-1 to Benzema against PSG, 0-2 also to the French against Chelsea in London and Rodrygo’s goal so that he extended his romance with the Champions League.
If the goal was not offered by Luka to the second top scorer in this Champions League (Lewandowski has 13, but is already eliminated), Vinicius gave it to him. With six assists, the Brazilian signs his best record as a passer, ties with Sané for the highest assist and is only one goal away from equaling his best goalscoring record in the Champions League (3 goals in 20/21). The one from São Gonçalo lives his confirmation season at the top and it is the campaign that appears the most and has generated the most for Real Madrid in Europe. Some records that indicate that they are only going to grow.
Modric points to a teammate during the match in London.
AFP7 via Europa Press
After the honor rolls, the honorable mention goes to a Rodrygo who increases his romance with the Champions League with his first goal in knockout. If the pass with the outside of the Croatian took all the praise, it was not for less the Brazilian’s shot.
At the back, Courtois is having a top-level season. Real Madrid received multiple arrivals in the four qualifying games against the powerful attacks of both rivals and there, the Belgian appeared as one of the best in the world in his position. He signed quality saves and also accumulates a notable quantity being the goalkeeper who has made the most saves in this edition of the Champions League.
In Europe he has played everything (930 minutes) in which he has conceded nine goals and has kept a clean sheet four times. In the absence of knowing who his rival will be in the semifinals (City or Atlético), Courtois is facing the opportunity to sign his best season in continental football, achieved precisely with Atlético de Madrid in 2013/14, in which he lost the final against Real Madrid. The Belgian reached the final with five clean sheets and only six goals conceded, a record that ended with ten totals after the last game. If he remains unbeaten, Thibaut would sign his personal best. One that he would like to accompany with his first Orejona.
Courtois celebrates during the match at the Bernabéu.
Shaun Botterill (Getty Images)
Reaching these heights has been helped by both Militao and Alaba, a newly assembled couple who have confirmed themselves at the top. Alaba arrived as a safe value from Bayern and his adaptation has been exemplary. The Austrian shines with and without the ball and has been the Brazilian’s best guide to the elite in central defense. His image lifting the folding chair in the comeback against PSG is already in the white collective imagination.
Eder Militao has lived, along with Vinicius, his confirmation in the elite. The Brazilian has taken on the challenge of the departure of the legendary couple Ramos-Varane and has proven to be everything he aimed for. Only some inconvenience and the accumulation of yellow cards have deprived him of minutes in this Champions League. Real Madrid sees itself, once again, with a central defender for several seasons.
These top names open the door to a possible 14th which is 270 minutes away, a knockout and a victory in the final away. The stars open the keys with epic and great individual level to define the meetings.
