In the round of 16, the Los Blancos successfully overcame a one goal deficit against PSG before defeating Chelsea 5-4 on aggregate to make it to the final four of the Champions League.
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Real Madrid’s Luka Modric says Manchester City are “a good team, just like PSG and Chelsea” ahead of the second leg of the Champions League semi-final clash on Wednesday. The Los Blancos need to overcome a 4-3 defeat in the second leg to go through to the final in Paris. In the round of 16, Carlo Ancelotti’s side successfully overcame a one goal deficit against Paris Saint-Germain in the second leg at Santiago Bernabeu. Meanwhile in the quarter-final, the La Liga champions defeated Chelsea 3-1 at Stamford Bridge before losing 3-2 at home but went through with a 5-4 aggregate win. In those knockout stage fixtures, both Modric and Karim Benzema played a key role in taking their team forward.
⚡️ #UCL mode: ?! pic.twitter.com/3tmoRytQp4
— Real Madrid C.F. ???? (@realmadriden) May 3, 2022
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In the first leg at Etihad stadium, Madrid were not at their best, their defence was at sixes and sevens and conceded four goals. Kevin de Bruyne, Gabriel Jesus, Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva netted for Pep Guardiola’s side. While once again it was Benzema who was Madrid’s saviour as he scored a brace while Vinicius junior also netted to make the score 3-4. Modric was speaking to the media ahead of the crucial clash, and the veteran midfielder said: “We know what we have to do and that this is the most important game of the season so far, so we’ll have to be at our best. We feel confident that we can mount a comeback. Even without playing to our best, we scored three goals there. We have quality and character and we never give up.”
In the last-16 second leg against PSG, Modric was simply brilliant in the middle of the park. The Croatian provided the assist for one of Benzema’s three goals scored on the night. Meanwhile the 36-year-old also did a solid job of neutralising Lionel Messi. Modrić has been here before and he usually ends up on the winning side. Some call it luck and that was put to the midfielder, to which he said: “To have won so many Champions League titles, it’s more than just luck. You need strong character and faith. We laugh a little when we hear that it’s just luck, but everyone can have their own opinion.”
Defensive midfielder missed the first leg because of injury and his absence cost them dearly. The 30-year-old’s absence gave too much space for the Man City attackers and they exploited it to good effect. Man City playmaker De Bruyne was one of the best players at Etihad as he scored one and set up Jesus’ goal. When asked about Casemiro’s return, Modric said: “Casemiro being back means a lot, since he’s such an important part of our play. I’m sure he’ll help us a lot and help us to fix any mistakes that we make.”
La Liga: Real Madrid notch hard-fought win as Atletico, Valencia also register wins
