Marcelo has lifted a new Champions League for Real Madrid. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)
Real Madrid champion of Europe. It doesn’t matter when you read it.
This time, the victim was Liverpool at the Stade de France in Paris. Before it were other teams, in different cities. Y the last postcard was almost always the same: a captain wearing white raised his Big ears. In black and white or in color; in low definition or ultra HD.
Vinicius’s goal is not explained in its fairness by the coronation of the Spanish team. Nor did the thousand save the incomparable Thibaut Courtois. Real Madrid is not a champion because Karim Benzema has the best player of the season. More: Carlo Ancelotti didn’t hang up a new gold medal because he trusted the stainless and smart Toni Kroos and Luka Modric. Merengue wasn’t the best because the block that made up Militao, Alaba and Casemiro got it all. The virtues of this team can be piled up, but there is something intangible that perfectly describes why Real Madrid is once again the King of Europe: The mystic. Yes, that shield has special magic, no doubt. And that’s why he’s a champion.
Only the precise weight of a shirt can explain the last years of world football. This -and other past- Real Madrid on the ground from the game and from the names (except for Cristiano Ronaldo, when he was there), has competed with teams that will remain in great history, such as Pep Guardiola’s monumental Barcelona and Lionel Messi. Catalan’s Manchester City will also mark a season. Just like PSG’s petrodollars, Klopp’s Liverpool heavy metal and Hans-Dieter Flick’s perfect Bayern Munich. But it is difficult for all great teams to win one or more Champions Leagues and The Meringue he remained at 5 of the last 9 editions. There are clubs playing the finals: Real Madrid won them.
It lacks pepper for the first time. The laboratory, the detailed study of technical bodies, is great and then there is no room for mistakes and emotions. It’s hard to say, but the first stage was boring: it was like an eternal first round of a world title fight. No one left the script and everyone performed their duties. It should also be noted: Liverpool took the leading role.
Liverpool and Real Madrid are on the field, although the game is very similar to what Manchester City-Atlético de Madrid could be. Those from England monopolized possession of the ball almost every minute, but it was difficult for them to find paths to the goal because it was not designed by Pep Guardiola. It is known that Jurgen Klopp likes quick transitions so he is not comfortable with the game returned to him.
Luka Modric and Eder Militao are celebrating the assignment to Real Madrid. Photo: REUTERS/Lee Smith
And Real Madrid bet too much on individual kickbacks, a seal more closely associated with Diego Pablo Simeone than Carlo Ancelotti. The Spaniards played exclusively by throwing long balls to Vinicius and, to a lesser extent, to Uruguayan Federico Valverde so that they could keep up with Benzema. In some of his runs, neither the steering wheel nor the sides are attached.
Liverpool were closer: he finished 10 times on goal against just one rival. But Thibaut Courtois doesn’t seem to be wasting time and continues to show that he is one of the best goalkeepers in the world. The Belgian contained a few shots from Salah (almost always after Trent Alexander-Arnold’s cross) and took a complex ball from Mané: he hit a powerful shot from the Senegalese and then the ball hit the poste. That happened after 20 minutes and since then the English fire has come out to hit hard.
Dani Cebellos, Karim Benzema and Marcelo, in hugs in Paris.
Madrid became less so, trying not to look bad for the Liverpool run. He tried to put the game on ice all the time. The main goal is to keep the arc at zero. The rest will be visible. And what can be seen is Benzema, the Frenchman who in a second can change the course of the world. In the last minute they threw him a long ball and after a thousand rebounds he touched the goal with his left foot. From nothing to glory. But the VAR acted and gave the line to the right, which marked the forward position of the attacker.
In the second half, Real Madrid stood out more. And he was encouraged to attack with more players. Liverpool didn’t cut a rival exit with a foul and the Spaniards got passes before launching: Valverde ran from the right and Vinicius was defined from the other sector. The blow has come.
Orejona de Courtois, the great figure of the night in Paris. Photo: Reuters
Real Madrid took refuge in the wisdom of Kroos and Modric; Ancelotti has never lost his calm. Courtoi saved an impossible hand in hand with Salah. Then he rolled to one side and to the other, and took a thousand centers. A performance of 10 points at the right time. That is to be the best goalkeeper in the world.
Liverpool did more merit to win and become champions. But up front is Real Madrid, the champion in excellence.
Source: Clarin
