MADRID – Real Madrid has found a vein. The Champions weighs in and praises MBappé and Neymar. But Zinedine Zidane has explored and invented his own duo. He has found another unexpected couple: Nacho and Militao, heroes of a new night of European success, this time at Anfield, which puts Real Madrid in the semifinals of the tournament and allows him to dream already of his fourteenth title.
Madrid signed a serious match. With a huge physical deployment of Nacho and Militao, attentive to the crossroads, darkening and minimizing the entire arsenal of Mané, Salah and Firmino. All this defensive festival, crowned by the safety of Courtois, excellent throughout the playoffs.
Maximum concentration. Ambition and personality were arguments of a solid Madrid, which had the help of Casemiro, immense again in the umpteenth hour of the truth of his team.
Seeing Empty Anfield is also impressive. To paraphrase Francisco Umbral would be like dancing without music. It was a shame to see The Kop bleachers without an audience, without these people who have football as an argument for being a little happier in life.
Jurgen Klopp tried to blow up the right flank. And extract oil for a while. That’s where Zidane placed Valverde and Mané was activated immediately. The initial siege of Liverpool lasted ten minutes, with a huge Courtois. Courtois sank the morale of Salah and Milner, with two prodigious actions. And Valverde was recovering the place until fulfilling with solvency in an abnormal space for him.
All eyes were on Vinicius. His amazing first leg impressed Klopp. It didn’t surprise him, which is different, but it did impress him – he reiterated this week – to finally show off his talent in a European wood match. Today Vinicius neither surprised nor impressed. He signed a discreet night.
Real Madrid left a champion scent at Anfield. Especially to make it clear that without Sergio Ramos and Varane, Madrid has life. A quality of drinking life. And plausible to knock out in the semifinals a Chelsea, who do what they can in the Premier, twenty points behind the leader, Manchester City.