1. The lethal Karim Benzema-Vinicius Junior duo shines again
A big positive for me in this match was yet again Madrid’s attacking duo of Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior. Arguably, they have been the best duo in Europe this season. I talked about the situation on the right-wing. But, if we take that out, Real Madrid probably has the best possible options for the remaining two in the trident. This game again was a reminder of how good these two are and how they can win big games for Real Madrid.
The first goal was picture perfect from Benzema, starting from the tackle to win the ball in midfield to laying it out for Vini to finish it perfectly with a venomous strike. Benzema especially, I think was brilliant in this game. His composure to score the second goal was brilliant after having forced a sharp save from Marc-Andre ter Stegen. He had also hit the bar earlier in the game. I think this was a near-perfect game for the big Frenchman who hardly set a wrong foot throughout the 120 minutes.
Vinicius, on the other hand, did brilliantly to score the opener and produced one of the finest and most mesmerizing moments of the extra time when he ‘dummied’ the cross from Rodrygo. Guess why? Because Benzema was lurking right behind. Although the goal was ultimately scored by Fede Valverde, the move was a reminder that Benzema and Vini share an incredible level of chemistry and telepathy.
It would be vital for these two to continue in the same way. Vini had to be taken off towards the end of the match for what I suspect is just a cramp. I hope it is not too serious for the 21-year-old. He is a key player for the remainder of the season and Real Madrid needs both its main men in attack to continue in the same way. They are capable of winning games and they probably are the most important assets for Real Madrid as we step into the business end of the season.