MY ACCOUNT
Real Madrid have been likened to a cat with nine lives by UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin after their dramatic run to the Champions League final.
The Spanish LaLiga winners came from 2-0 behind on aggregate with a stunning comeback against Paris Saint-Germain at the last-16 stage, then resisted a Chelsea fightback in the quarter-finals.
They topped those victories, however, with their recovery against Manchester City in the semi-finals, with Ceferin admitting he thought the Spanish giants’ hopes were finally dead and buried.
An all-English final in Paris was looming when City led 5-3 on aggregate going into the 90th minute at the Santiago Bernabeu on May 4, only for a Rodrygo double and Benzema’s penalty in extra time to sensationally turn the tie around.
The May 28 showpiece will now feature Madrid against Liverpool, both long-time titans of the competition, with Ceferin describing that match-up as “insanely interesting”.
“Already in the semi-finals I doubted that Real could eliminate Manchester City,” Ceferin said, “especially after the defeat in the first game.”
City won 4-3 in Manchester and led 1-0 in Madrid through Riyad Mahrez’s goal, before the late flurry from the hosts.
“They obviously have nine lives like cats,” Ceferin said, in an interview with Slovenian news website 24ur.com.
The UEFA boss noted the experience in the Madrid ranks, yet he questioned the strength of Carlo Ancelotti’s defence, describing it as “weak”.
“But they have the miraculous Karim Benzema, for whom I have said many times that in my opinion he is one of the most underrated players in the history of football,” Ceferin added.
“Luka Modric, the older he is, the better he is.”
Benzema has scored a competition-high 15 goals for Madrid in the Champions League this season, in just 11 games. Those goals have come at a rate of one every 67.7 minutes. He is an obvious threat to Liverpool’s hopes of winning a third cup competition this season, having already won the FA Cup and EFL Cup.
Ceferin believes both sides have their merits, with Madrid’s experience punching against the relative youth of Liverpool.
“I wouldn’t dare to predict the winner, as a rule I misjudge. It’s impossible to predict,” he said. “This will be an insanely interesting final.”
Off the field, Ceferin says he has had no recent contact with Madrid senior officials, after the club were key players behind the failed push for a European Super League.
“The time will come when these things will be cleared up, but they will certainly not be on the pitch,” Ceferin said.
