Champions League: Benzema brace sends Real Madrid to the final

Spaniards on course for

Spaniards on course for third successive
title after beating Bayern Munich in the two-legged semi-finals

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That they clung on for a 2-2 draw – and a 4-3 win on aggregate –
was in no small part due to Keylor Navas, who made eight saves
against the German champions, his highest tally in a Champions
League knockout game. A couple were stunners, denying Bayern the
goals they so desperately needed on a night when once again they
enjoyed the lion’s share of possession.

What they didn’t enjoy, however, was the sight of their
goalkeeper Sven Ulreich making the mother of all mistakes 20
seconds into the second-half.

The teams had turned around all square at the interval, an
early effort by Joshua Kimmich equalised by Karim Benzema, and it
was the Frenchman who pounced on Ulreich’s error to put Real into
the lead.

Corentin Tolisso’s backpass was unsympathetic but
nonetheless the keeper should have dealt with the danger. Instead,
as he went to dive on the ball, Ulreich suddenly realised he was
inside his area and, caught in two minds, he tried to paddle it
clear with his legs. In an agony of incompetence, he watched the
ball slide under his body and into the path of Benzema, who tapped
it into an empty net.

Bayern pulled a goal back through James Rodriguez on 63
minutes but the third that they needed to edge into the final on
Kiev on 26 May proved beyond them.

“We never stop fighting up to the very last minute, just
as the Bayern players did,” said Real coach Zinedine Zidane, whose
side are the first to reach three successive Champions League
finals twice. “It’s in the DNA of the club.”

Admitting that Real have ridden their luck this season on
their way to the final, Zidane said: “This is our third final but
we suffered a lot. At the end, we were strong and we lived with the
pressure… we played against a huge team, Juve was the same, PSG
also. We are happy because we beat all three despite having to
suffer.”

Real captain Sergio Ramos also referenced the club’s DNA,
saying: “[It] pushes you to fight until the end. We knew how to
suffer together. They had more possession but overall we were
better. This team deserves to be in Kiev.”

That wasn’t the view of Bayern manager Jupp Heynckes, who
steps down from his position at the end of the season. “Over both
games, we were clearly the better team, but we’ve not been able to
reach the final,” he said. “We dominated but [Keylor] Navas was
spectacular, especially at the end.”

Asked about his own goalkeeper’s moment of madness,
Heynckes replied: “Ulreich had a little blackout. We gave a
world-class display, lots of beautiful football, it’s such a shame
we were eliminated.”

In the final Real will play the winner of the Roma vs.
Liverpool semi-final. Liverpool are favourites to progress to the
final after winning the first leg against Roma 5-2 last
week.