Real Madrid-Liverpool 1-0, Benzema’s goal: Blancos in the quarter-finals of the Champions League

The hunt for the fifteenth continues on the day of the three hundredth Champions League match. Strengthened by the 5-2 in Anfield, Real Madrid also won the return match at the Bernabeu 1-0 with a goal from Benzema (7th career center against the Reds) in the 78th minute, eliminated Liverpool and reached the quarter-finals, where they one of the teams that no one will want to draw from the urn in Nyon on Friday at 12. For the fifth time in the last six editions, however, the Reds go out at the hands of not only a Spanish player, but a Madrid player (4 with Real, one with Athletic). And they become 6 out of 7 if we count that in the group stage of 2014-15, it was once again Real (together with Basel) who knocked them out. Klopp’s team never seemed convinced they could perform a miracle, with Ancelotti’s team not limiting themselves to managing the advantage but pushing from the start, coming close to scoring many times.

the match

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Three changes by Klopp compared to the first leg: Konaté, Milner and Diogo Jota take the place of Gomez, Henderson and Bajcetic. Ancelotti instead inserts Nacho and Kroos in place of Alaba and Rodrygo. The first chance is for the guests: a mistake by Rudiger, Salah serves Nunez who enters the area but his shot is central and Courtois rejects it. But it is Real, despite the 3-goal margin, who make the match. And in fact it was Vinicius in the quarter of an hour who came very close to scoring, with his shot in front of goal miraculously rejected by Alisson. It was then Camavinga’s turn to shake the crossbar with a great blow from 20 metres, with a fundamental deviation from the Liverpool goalkeeper. Modric imitates him immediately after, with a high ball of nothing. Courtois had to overcome himself in the 34th minute to put Nunez’s nice shot for a corner.

The Reds also try with Gakpo but the Belgian goalkeeper is careful. Just like Alisson in the 54th minute when Valverde comes out – launched by Benzema – alone but manages to block him. Valverde is still close to scoring with a nice gap but his header only grazes the crossbar. It is then again the turn of the Ballon d’Or 2022 to put up from an excellent position. In the 79th minute the insistence of the French-Algerian is rewarded: ball into the area for Vinicius who butts the shot but manages to serve Benzema from the ground who puts in with an empty net, definitively closing the accounts, however never reopened.