Another great result for Real Madrid! Yes, a draw can be called a great result as well, especially in these levels of football. On Wednesday Zidane’s team showed a great character and managed to secure their place in the semis. They were fronting not an ordinary team, but the great Liverpool of Jurgen Klopp. Liverpool did the best to overturn the balance and steal the place in the semis from the white shirts.
Real Madrid started the game with a surprise as Valverde took the place of the right back instead of Odriozola. Since he was playing out of his natural position Liverpool targeted him since the start with Mane. Valverde showed great maturity and tried to play carefully. Last night Liverpool tried to be more aggressive and fast than in the previous leg. And so happened.
Klopp’s boys were eager to score first and to score as soon as possible so the match could be reopened. Real Madrid knew perfectly what would happen because from great teams like Liverpool great performances are always expected. It was immediately Salah who found himself in front of Courtois but was not accurate enough and missed a great chance. Besides him it was Mane and then Milner and Wijnaldum who had other great chances but didn’t get the most out of them and one of the major reasons for that was also Thibaut Courtois who pulled off some great saves continuing to prove himself as a real assurance for Zidane’s team. This Liverpool seemed very difficult to bear with, but Real Madrid knows how to suffer and how to face delicate situations and matches. A great determination to follow the opponent in every step, too much running and also continuous physical plays presented Real Madrid as a team that cannot be broken easily no matter how many players are missing or how strong the opponent is.
The defence did a great job with Militao and Nacho proving once again to be players of a high level just like they did in the latest matches. They seem to have found themselves and can make the team feel safe even when giants like Ramos and Varane are absent. On the left Mendy had to keep up with Salah and also to provide some help for the counter attacks and he did very well most of the time. But the real surprise was Valverde who proved himself to be an extremely reliable player as he covered a totally new role and also managed to neutralize most of the time a top player like Sadio Mane. Facing great players like him is never an easy job. Then Kroos, Modric and Benzema who did their job as always providing Vinicius and Asensio who made as well a good performance. But the one who was really a tank was Casemiro. Tough, aggressive, strong and physically and psychologically a beast. He was always a great pain for very creation that Liverpool tried to make! Madrid tried to play it as safe as possible but didn’t forget about attacking. The team patiently waited for their opportunities (mostly by counter attacks and long balls) and Karim Benzema hit the post with a deflected shot midway through the first half after making a long run and dodging the defence of Liverpool which couldn’t follow him properly.
The second half continued with Liverpool trying to create more and trying to control the game more. Meanwhile Real Madrid kept trying to use counter attacks and opponent’s mistakes. On other occasions Real Madrid also tried to lower the opponents rhythm by controlling the ball more and playing a game concentrated on passing the ball back and forth but this was never easy. Real had to suffer the pressure of Liverpool and their dangerous plays in many cases. Firmino and Co had other good chances but never finalized anything. As the minutes passed Real gained even more confidence and Liverpool started to feel the pressure of the result. In the 72nd minute Zidane put Odriozola in Kroos’s place and Rodrygo in Vinicius’ place. The team was somehow refreshed and the midfield saw Valverde coming back in as Odriozola who was coming fresh from the bench would have his job easier with Mane who had lost too much energy. Ten minutes later Asensio left his place to Isco so the team could try to control the ball more and win as much time as possible. And so happened. On the other hand Real tried to get closer to Allison and also had great chances first with Vinicius who couldn't get past Allison on time after receiving a long ball from the defence and then with Benzema who had a clear chance when receiving a cross from the right wing, but his header went above the goal after bouncing on the ground. As the game approached the end, Liverpool’s hopes were going down and Jurgen Klopp’s subs Alcantara, Jota, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Shaqiri felt powerless after trying but not getting any great results as the white defence was always solid. No goals, Casemiro receives dhe Man of the Match award and Real Madrid returns home as a semifinalist!
The experience that the whole Zidane’s team brought on the pitch was the key to the result. Knowing how and when to play a tough football is what makes Real Madrid stay one step ahead of the opponent. It was really difficult to do it since it was certain that Liverpool would hit hard, but Real managed to keep a clean sheet by restricting Liverpool’s chances and by trying to hit back with counter attacks and by using the mistakes of the Reds. Everything went well and Zidane may smile calmly.
Klopp and Zidane also spoke about these details and here are some of their words:
Klopp: "It was uncomfortable for Madrid. We were good, aggressive, had chances. If and when is not interesting. We didn't score and then the experience of Real Madrid played the tie down. That is ourselves this year with the finishing”.
Zidane: "We suffered and we knew we would have to suffer tonight but we wanted to go through, we managed the game well, we had some complicated moments but we can be really proud of what we did tonight again. We suffered above all at the start. They played well for the first 15 minutes. But it's normal, it's a Champions League quarter-final, with the score in our favour, we knew we'd suffer, but we go through and we're happy. We're all together, with everything that's happening, the absentees and injuries we've had, the team is always there and it wants more and that's good. We haven't won anything but we're alive in two competitions and that's what we'll try to keep doing".
The next opponent will be Chelsea with the first match to be played in Madrid on 27th of April and the second one in London on 5th of May. Until then Real will have to face first three opponents in La Liga: Getafe, Cadiz and Real Betis. This difficult week (three crucial matches, two against Liverpool and one against Barcelona) is over and the results were excellent but nothing is over. The team should not relax because from now on every game is like a final!
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