Karim Benzema kept his cool in the most arrogant and audacious way possible during Real Madrid’s 4-3 defeat to Manchester City, according to former Newcastle striker Alan Shearer.
The Real Madrid forward’s brace of goals on Tuesday night took him to 14 in Europe this season, just three short of the record 17 scored by Cristiano Ronaldo back in 2013-14.
The 34-year-old scored four times across the two-legged quarter-final against Chelsea before bagging Madrid’s first at the Etihad after 33 minutes, turning in a Ferland Mendy cross to hit back against City’s two early goals.
Phil Foden restored the two-goal advantage before Vinicius Junior pegged them back again, but Bernardo Silva’s sensational strike from the edge of the box seemed to have put the tie out of sight at 4-2.
However, a handball by Rodri gave Madrid the chance to once again reduce the deficit from the penalty spot, and Benzema stepped up to do the honours, cheekily chipping the ball over a diving Ederson.
Some Madrid fans may have been surprised to see Benzema retain the spot-kick duties given his recent form from 12 yards: last week against Osasuna, he saw two penalties saved in the space of 17 minutes and also missed one against Celta Vigo earlier this month.
All three misses had been driven low to the keeper’s right-hand side, but Benzema switched up his preferred penalty against City, much to the surprise of onlookers including Shearer, who scored 56 out of the 62 penalties he took in the Premier League during his illustrious career.
“After missing three penalties this month, all I can do is chuckle and think ‘I cannot believe Karim Benzema has just done that’,” Shearer told the BBC.
More from Football
'I wouldn't be playing in the Champions League if it wasn't for Bournemouth'27 April, 2022
Benzema's extraordinary panenka keeps Real Madrid alive after seven-goal thriller at Man City26 April, 2022
Sunderland snatch a late point as League One's frantic promotion race takes another twist26 April, 2022“The sheer arrogance of it but also the belief and the ability to do that. He seems to be getting better and better. The sheer audacity! It was incredible.”
Benzema himself has only missed seven penalties outside of shootouts in his career, scoring the other 29, but four of those failures have come since the turn of the year. Even so, the France international laughed off the suggestion his poor recent record might have forced him to reconsider his responsibilities.
“If you don’t take penalties, you’ll never miss them,” he said afterwards.
“It’s confidence, nothing more. It’s all mental.”
Anaylsis
By i‘s chief football correspondent Sam Cunningham at the Etihad Stadium
The revenge movie has become popular in modern times, the story depicting a main protagonist who relentlessly refuses to give up, refuses to be killed, refuses to stop until they have had their revenge.
And it’s as though this group of Real Madrid players have channelled that energy into the Champions League this season. They trail Manchester City by a goal after a simply extraordinary game of football and cannot be written off.
They are John Wick avenging his dead puppy, they are The Equalizer seeking revenge for the mistreated. They are as stone cold as Karim Benzema’s penalty to leave Real Madrid bruised and battered but somehow only one goal behind in this semi-final.
Read Sam’s report in full here
from Football | News and analysis from the Premier League and beyond | iNews https://ift.tt/Gcu725e
Post a Comment