Champions League, chapter Vlll: Madrid-Liverpool, reunion in Paris

Paris will repeat the final four years after the final in kyiv. Real Madrid and Liverpool will meet for the third time in the final of the continental competition, after the reds’ victory in 1981 (1-0) in the French capital itself, then in the Parc des Princes, and the merengue triumph (3-1) in the capital of Ukraine in 2018. It will be a reunion that could be expected before starting the semifinals… But to materialize, he experienced a real roller coaster of sensations.

Liverpool suffered at Villarreal to make the logic good… And Real Madrid consumed a real madness at the Bernabéu to overcome Manchester City, who had won 4-3 at the Etihad and won, with solvency, the second leg by 0-1 , bordering on 0-2 and without suspecting that Rodrygo, who came on in place of Modric in the 68th minute, would end up being the miracle man, with two goals at the buzzer that gave way to an extra time sentenced by Benzema, completing the most unthinkable that is remembered

The latest European madness at the Bernabéu closed the semifinals that the day before had given Liverpool the first ticket, which will play its third final in five seasons… And it will do so after breaking the record of winning all the games of the continental course outside from Anfield. Those of Klopp, who signed a perfect group stage adding all the points, beat Paris, Leipzig and Bruges, in the second round they beat Inter at the San Siro, Benfica in Lisbon in the quarterfinals and, finally, Villarreal in the semifinals, adding 30 goals and losing only one game (0-1 at home against Benfica) to complete an almost perfect Champions League.

REAL MADRID 3-1 MANCHESTER CITY. Miracle. The last of the series, the most difficult yet. The impossible made reality. First it was PSG, then it was Chelsea… And finally Manchester City suffered the legend of the Bernabéu. The English team was winning 0-1 when in minute 87 Mendy saved the sentence under sticks, in minute 88 Courtois avoided Grealish’s 0-2… And in minute 90 Rodrygo appeared to start the usual miracle, with an unthinkable goal . Madrid equalized and without time for City to meet again, the Brazilian reappeared to finish off, imperially, with a header and take the game to extra time. Impossible to imagine and it was happening… And of course, the Bernabéu legend ended up devouring Guardiola’s team through a Laporte penalty that Benzema converted to round off the last historical comeback.

VILLARREAL 2-3 LIVERPOOL. Comeback. Villarreal did the most difficult thing and, as their coach, Unai Emery, acknowledged, in the end, they justly gave in to what they had previously considered “the best team in the world”. Liverpool had little less than sentenced the tie at Anfield but the Yellow Submarine, in an exquisite first half, was able to balance it with goals from Dia and Coquelin that left Klopp’s men on the ropes, who returned from the locker room enraged and transformed the match in little less than a monologue of pressure, dominance, strength and success. The entrance of Luis Díaz and the mistake of Rulli were the keys that ended up uneven the balance and as soon as the distances were shortened, the red team began to consider it impossible for Villarreal to be able to fulfill their dream. In the end, not only did Liverpool save the furniture, but they took the victory, the sixth of the season in the Champions League as a visitor, all the games played, the perfect record.

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Champions League, chapter Vlll: Madrid-Liverpool, reunion in Paris