No revolution in the golden world of the Champions League, the “cadors” have held their rank. The essential Karim Benzema, scorer against Atalanta Bergamo (3-1), took Real Madrid to the quarter-finals on Tuesday March 16, where the offensive armada of Manchester City, without mercy for Mönchengladbach (2-0) , is also expected.
Real Madrid – Atalanta (3-1)
Destabilized in Italy in the first leg finally won 1-0, the Spaniards showed a face more faithful to their European stature, in their small Alfredo-Di Stefano stadium, the traditional home of the Madrid reserve team.
Small enclosure, but great striker! Absent in Bergamo, Karim Benzema did not fail to shine for his return to C1, scoring an important goal in the first period (1-0, 34e) after an error by goalkeeper Marco Sportiello, and failing to double the bet on a sublime action completed on the post (68e).
The Frenchman’s statistics are impressive: he remains on at least one goal scored in his last five appearances, and now compiles 70 goals in the Champions League, which only four players have achieved in history (Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski and Raul).
Faced with Atalanta and his offensive nerve – what a turn the match would have taken if Robin Gosens had cheated Thibaut Courtois on a huge opportunity from the 3e minute of the match? -, the partners of captain Sergio Ramos, also back from injury and scorer on penalty (2-0, 60e), ensured the qualification, despite a superb free kick from Luis Muriel (2-1, 83e) to which Marco Asensio responded well (3-1, 85e).
Distanced in the league and eliminated from all other cups, the ” White House “ can therefore cling to this qualification to show that it still holds its place on the continental scene.
“We are going to take it step by step, but we have shown that this team is always hungry, and that it wants to continue to win”, said Croatian Luka Modric, a decisive passer on Benzema’s goal.
For Zinédine Zidane, the Madrid coach of three consecutive European titles between 2016 and 2018, a certainty emerges at the dawn of this first quarter-final of C1 since his return in 2019: he will need his stars if he wants hope to lift a fourth personal continental trophy this season, and the fourteenth for the legendary Spanish club.
Manchester City – Mönchengladbach (2-0)
On the side of Manchester City, the dream of an unprecedented quadruplet – Championship, National Cups, Champions League – this season remains relevant: sovereigns, the English, broad leaders of the Premier League, validated their ticket without a hitch, after their success of the first leg (2-0).
In Budapest, where the match was relocated due to restrictions due to Covid-19, it took less than twenty minutes to extinguish all suspense. The time for the Belgian playing master Kévin De Bruyne to propel an overpowering strike from the left under the bar (1-0, 12e) before İlkay Gündogan makes one of those calls from afar that he likes so much this season, to receive a cross pass in a mouse hole from Phil Foden and closely deceive Yann Sommer (2-0, 18e). It was already the 15th goal this season for the 30-year-old German midfielder, nine more than in any other year since joining City.
With an overwhelming possession of the ball, Manchester was then able to afford an hour of play without pressure but never giving the feeling of falling too easily, even if he no longer scored.
“Yeah, sometimes after the fact it looks easy. It was a good performance and ninety minutes mastered from the start. But this competition is tricky and we were serious. After two magnificent goals, everything was easier. But the way we played was once again really, really good ”, rejoiced Pep Guardiola.
For him, however, the hardest part begins. Because since his departure from Barcelona where he lifted two Champions Leagues (2009 and 2011), the Catalan coach has always failed to repeat the performance, at Bayern Munich (2013-16) and at City since. In four attempts at “Sky Blues”, he did not go beyond the quarter-finals, and his latest failure, against Lyon last year in Lisbon, sounded like an immense disillusionment.
The Madrilenians and the Citizens, who faced each other last year in the round of 16 for an easy qualification for City, join in the quarterfinals PSG, Porto, Liverpool and Dortmund. The draw will take place on Friday.
There are two tickets left for four contenders: defending Bayern Munich already have a big foot in the quarterfinals after their 4-1 first leg success in Rome against Lazio, while Chelsea and coach Thomas Tuchel will seek , Wednesday, to maintain their short lead obtained on the ground of Atlético Madrid (1-0).
