Real Madrid’s Champions League Luck?
Real Madrid is a storied football club with a rich history of success in the UEFA Champions League, having won the competition a record 13 times. In the 2021-2022 season, Real Madrid demonstrated their resilience and competitive spirit by mounting a dramatic comeback in the knockout stages of the tournament, and once again showing their competitive nature against Liverpool in the first leg of the round of 16 in this Champions League season (2022-2023).
In the quarterfinals of the 2021-2022 season, Real Madrid faced Liverpool in a highly anticipated matchup between the two European giants. Real Madrid repeatedly won the first leg, this time by a score of 3-1, with goals from Vinicius Junior (2) and Marco Asensio. In the second leg, Liverpool came out strong and scored early through Mohamed Salah, but Real Madrid responded with another goal from Vinicius Junior, securing a 4-1 aggregate win and a place in the semifinals.
Fast-forward to today, Champions league 2022-2023 season, Real Madrid yet again faced English side Liverpool in the Round of 16 and won the first leg 5-2 away at Anfield Stadium. They fell behind early when Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez scored a stunning back-heel goal in the fourth minute, followed by Mohamed Salad in the 14th minute from a doubtful mistake by Courtois. However, Real Madrid refused to give up and fought back to equalize in the first half through two goals from Vini Jr. In the second half, Real Madrid took control of the match and scored three more goals through Eder Militao (’47) and Karim Benzema (’55, ’67). Although, a second leg is yet to be played, will Liverpool find their canal to come back?
Real Madrid's recent success in the Champions League is a testament to the team's quality and experience, as well as their ability to perform under pressure in high-stakes matches. The team is led by experienced veterans such as Luka Modric, and Karim Benzema, as well as shining young stars like Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo. While there is still a long way to go in the tournament, Real Madrid has consistently shown that they are a team to be reckoned with in the Champions League.