Carlo Ancelotti said not to go crazy, but no one was listening, so why would they now? Suddenly, dozens of men ran down the sideline in pursuit of Karim Benzema, the Frenchman disappeared under a pile of bodies in a corner, and around them 60,000 people completely lost their heads. The noise was so loud that the ears bled, and they sang. “Asi gana el Madri,” it read: “This is how Madrid wins!”
The way they won was hardly believable, perhaps even the most remarkable of the entire library of implausible stories at a club that specializes in amazing comebacks, another epic European story written. “A club that has 13 European cups does not win by accident; it’s something deep inside them,” said Mauricio Pochettino, and how appropriate it was here. It cannot be bought.
Madrid were grateful to have conceded just one goal, scored by the exceptional Kylian Mbappe, who they believe will someday spend those nights with them, when a ridiculous mistake by Gianluigi Donnarumma handed them a lifeline they were clinging to. Now, two strokes per minute gave Benzema a hat-trick that took him past Alfredo Di Stefano as the all-time leading scorer and advanced to the quarter-finals.
There was something laughable about the first Madrid and in the comics about the second, 36-year-old Luka Modric, running almost from his own zone to PSG, pursued by blue shirts. There, through Vinicius, he played Benzema to put Madrid ahead and level on aggregate. There was no time to digest it when Real scored the third goal, Benzema skillfully sent the ball home and pandemonium broke out.
Digesting everything else will take even longer. So it will be in Madrid and in Paris, if you do not think about another failure. A failure that, for all its relentless logic, given the nature of the club, was unthinkable for most of the match that graced Mbappé. At the end, the Madrid players fell to their knees and that was history.
It shouldn’t have been like this, but it was so much better. Ancelotti’s suggestion that they didn’t have to go crazy because they only wanted one was reasonable enough, but there wasn’t much rationality in it, and as it turned out, they needed three. They got them all in the second half, which shook the foundations here, destroying everything that was in the first, when the frustrated flatness reigned.
Karim Benzema scores Real Madrid’s first goal after robbing slacker Gianluigi Donnarumma. Photograph: David Ramos/Getty ImagesIf Madrid started in the foreground, and Vinicius jumped out on his left foot three times in 10 minutes, then this did not last long. One of those streaks ended with a PSG break that culminated in Mbappé making a Thibault Courtois save, which was just the first of many, and Madrid’s early energy dissipated. This was doubly disappointing because when they managed to press sometimes, PSG looked visibly worried.
However, for the most part, the guests appeared to be comfortable in control – and often at walking pace, until Mbappe sped up. He and Neymar soon brought Courtois saves, alarm whistles blew as possession became monotonous.
Ancelotti talked about just needing to be in the game, which at the time seemed like the best thing Real Madrid could strive for, and in any case, it’s a temporary state, but one that will be revealed as words of wisdom. Out of nowhere, Benzema landed a sensational wide shot through Donnarumma’s fingers. Two more warnings followed Benzema’s header and PSG were nervous defensively, a tendency to give away the ball in compromising positions that hinted at a price they would later pay, and Ancelotti’s point is proven.
However, what eventually unfolded seemed like a distant world. This was followed by a great exchange between Lionel Messi and Neymar, after which Mbappe scored a goal, but Nuno Mendes was offside. PSG then took the lead as Neymar’s fast ball was released by Mbappe. Taking off from his half, he reached the edge of the court, braked, looked Courtois in the eyes and finished with seeming ease, almost insulting.
Another chance was squandered shortly before half-time, allowing Real Madrid to stop and clear their heads before it was too late. It may have happened when Mbappe passed the fooled Courtois without even touching the ball and scored early in the second period. Again the flag was raised, and the next time it was sent clear, Militao and David Alaba dived in to stop it, this heroism was the signal of the bugle.
Madrid now had more possession, rebelled and soon scored a goal that transformed the place, Donnarumma’s gift gave them a way back. Caught by Benzema, he lost the ball almost on his own line. Vinicius collected and rolled onto Benzema to score. A minute later, Benzema fired wide and the Bernabéu exploded, believing it could actually happen. Could? Would. PSG looked scared, caught in a storm, and indeed an incomparable stage was set for the comeback on which Madrid built its history.