Valentino Mazzola, captain of the legendary ‘Grande Torino’ team of the 1950s, famously rolled up his sleeves during matches when things were not going according to plan. This was a signal to teammates and opponents alike that it was time for the ‘quarto d’ora granata’ ( the maroon quarter-hour). What followed was 15 minutes in which Torino would overwhelm opponents and batter them into submission. (They once scored 6 goals in 14 minutes against AS Roma to eventually win 7-1 after having trailed 0-1 at half-time). As Karim Benzema walked off the pitch at half-time during the UEFA Champions League semifinal first-leg against Manchester City on Tuesday, he was engrossed in deep conversation with Luka Modric. The Real Madrid captain and his Croatian teammate had combined once more to keep the Spanish giants in the contest after Manchester City had raced to a 2-0 lead after 11 minutes in the first-half.
“Karim Benzema wearing Real Madrid home kit 21/22” by Real Madrid is licensed under CC BY 3.0.
Unlike Mazzola’s Grande Torino however, Real did not come back and destroy their opponents in the second-half. Most members of the Grande Torino team – so called for winning 5 successive Italian championships in the 1940s – were in their 20s when they were killed in a tragic air crash in 1949. Benzema, Modric and Toni Kroos have a combined age of 102. But you don’t win 3 Champions League titles in a row – a record – unless you possess something out of the ordinary. On Tuesday, City got a glimpse of the steel behind the mainframe.
REAL’S OLD STAGERS TO THE FORE
“I don’t know if he will win it or not, but Benzema is certainly the best player in the world right now,” Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti told Canale 5 of the Ballon d’Or award. “There is nobody else with his quality and efficiency.”
Of the 3 goals scored by Real Madrid against City, 2 involved Benzema.
Real’s opener came about after Modric put in an excellent tackle on Rodri inside Manchester City’s half, causing the Spaniard to lose possession of the ball. Real left-back Ferland Mendy picked up the loose ball and crossed for Benzema, who volleyed home the ball with ice-cold precision.
While Madrid’s second came about thanks to a glorious individual goal by Vinicius Junior, their third happened after a collaboration between Kroos and Benzema. Kroos hasn’t quite hit the same heights as Benzema and Modric have in the Champions League this season, but he showed his class once again on Tuesday.
Trailing 2-4 on the night, the German metronome delivered a teasing free-kick across the face of City’s goal. Aymeric Laporte leapt up to head the ball away but ended up handling the ball and conceding a penalty. Benzema, after seeing 2 of his penalty kicks saved against Osasuna last week, stepped up and ‘Panenka’ed the penalty.
“I always have it in my head – if you never take penalties, you will never miss one,” the France striker told The Athletic. “It is about mental confidence, nothing else. I have a lot of confidence in myself.”
‘YOU SHALL NOT PASS!’
Two times already this season Real have been second-best to their opponents for the majority of a Champions League knockout tie and 2 times they have prevailed.
Paris Saint-Germain were unquestionably the better team across 180 minutes in Real’s last-16 tie while Chelsea were clearly superior in the second-leg of Madrid’s quarterfinal in Spain. On both occasions, it was the old guard that got Real over the line.
“Madrid have a team full of champions,” Italy and Juventus legend Alessandro Del Piero told Sky Sports Italia.
“Benzema and Modric are rare players. When you make a mistake, they always punish you.”
For someone who has won the Ballon d’Or, Luka Modric gets underestimated an awful lot. Every time he is overlooked by the opposition however – deemed ‘too slight’ or ‘too old’ – he makes them pay dearly.
One just needs to look at the ferocity on the Croatian’s face as he pulled away from PSG players to set up Real’s second goal during Madrid’s last-16 second-leg at the Santiago Bernabéu: he first intercepted a Neymar pass meant for Lionel Messi, before seeing off a raft of blue shirts that included Neymar, Idrissa Gueye and Presnel Kimbembe even as the 36-year-old charged up the pitch. Modric then played in Vinicius Júnior down the left wing and eventually set up Benzema’s second goal of the night.
Madrid had just got a lifeline in the 60th minute after Benzema had rushed PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarrumma into fumbling the ball and conceding a goal. From 0-2 down on aggregate, it was now 1-2 in favour of PSG. There were only 30 minutes left. Modric struck with only 14 minutes left on the clock. Then he struck again, helping Vinicius set up Benzema for Madrid’s, and his, third goal of the night.
“When you make a mistake, they always punish you.”
GRANDSTAND FINISH AWAITS
Ancelotti conceded he was puzzled when asked in the aftermath of the City clash about Real’s slow starts in the Champions League this season. “It’s difficult to say why we start so badly, but then it’s difficult to explain why we end games so strong as well,” he said.
To be fair to Ancelotti, Real’s shambolic defensive performance on Tuesday probably had a lot to do with the absence of Carlos Casemiro through injury and the lack of fitness of centre-back David Alaba, who was carrying a knock he had picked up from the Osasuna game the previous week. Alaba was at fault for City’s second goal on the night and was withdrawn at half-time. City too, had lost Kyle Walker and Joao Cancelo to injury and suspension respectively. They also lost the already half-fit John Stones 35 minutes into Tuesday’s game, the makeshift right-back being replaced by club captain Fernandinho. The second leg, to be held at the Santiago Bernabeu, is expected to be a much tighter affair.
“Looking at the glass half-empty, we started really badly, but then had the strength to react, score three goals and keep qualification wide open,” said Ancelotti. “Our stadium will push us forward.”
Benzema couldn’t agree more.
“We are on a mission in this Champions League, we never drop our heads. Now we have to go to the Bernabeu. We need our fans, as never before, and we are going to do something magical. Which is to win.”
If Real do fall short of his expectations next week, trust Karim Benzema to roll up his sleeves once again, metaphorically or otherwise.