Casemiro reveals ‘secret weapon’ that helped Real Madrid win Champions League 2021-22
After 2022 Round of 16, second leg match against PSG Casemiro said its was with the help of the fans that they changed game around and won.
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Casemiro after the Round of 16 Second leg 2022, said "Secret weapons are the fans who made this possible" (Image via- Twitter)
Real Madrid is often termed the best team in the UEFA Champions League competition. This is largely because of the kind of performance they show in this competition. The Spanish Giants have won this competition for a record 14 times, more than anyone in the history of the competition.
Although this journey wasn’t always as smooth as it seemed. There are quite a few instances where twists were waiting for Real Madrid. One such twist was the Champions League Round of 16 stages against Paris Saint Germain, after which Casemiro said it was the fans for whom the turn of events was possible.
Back in 2021/22, Real Madrid Qualified for the Round of 16 stages after passing through the group stage quite comfortably. In the round of 16, they were placed against PSG. The French club enjoyed an averagely successful group stage as well.
Real Madrid’s Dilemma at the Parc des Princes
The first leg of the Round of 16 was quite a thriller. Players on both sides were shown a total of eight yellow cards. Real Madrid was kept at bay by their French adversary. With just three attempts, none of which were on target, Real Madrid’s attack was kept quiet by the PSG defence.
Real Madrid’s defence wasn’t effective either as they were often visited by the French Club attacking half frequently. PSG had overall 22 shots taken out of which eight were on target. In the end, PSG defeated Real Madrid with Mbappe’s winning goal at the 94th minute of the game. Overall the first leg was quite horrifying for the Spanish Giants.
Real Madrid’s miraculous comeback at Santiago Bernabeu
The second leg was really important for Real Madrid as they needed to find harmony amongst the team to prevent the horrifying performance of Parc des Princes from happening at Santiago Bernabeu again. That’s where the fans came in.
The fans were acting like the 12th man for the home team. Their cheers, chants, and prayers acted as a morale booster that washed away all the fears from the First leg at Paris. Although, Mbappe’s early goal in the 39th min, did let the French side have the upper hand with an aggregate of 0-2. Real Madrid did come from behind and with Benzema’s eventful hattrick, turned the table for Paris in the end.
From an aggregate score of 0-2 to the final aggregate score of 3-2 Thanks to Karim Benzema’s contribution in the 61mins, 76min, and 78min, Real Madrid managed to find a miracle yet another time with an awesome performance. Credits that the club and players shared with the fans. Many of the players and club staff accepted the fact that without the support of their loyal fans that victory at the Santiago Bernabeu wouldn’t have been possible. The Brazilian defending midfielder Casemiro said, “After the first leg vs PSG I thought this is impossible, they’re better than us. But we had a secret weapon… our fans.”
After the miraculous show at the Santiago Bernabeu, Real Madrid went to the latter stages of the competition and won it for the 14th time in the 2021-22 season. Seems like Real Madrid find their way back from really tough situations. And credit for that goes to their Secret Weapon- Their loyal fans.
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Real Madrid and Santiago Bernabeu: A match made in heaven
Real Madrid has been one of the most decorated teams, in terms of achievements and trophies for the better part of the century. One of the reasons for this can be considered the fact that they have a superb record of winning in their home ground Santiago Bernabeu.
Taking the Champions league into account, it’s visible in the team’s stats of the last decade how important their home turf is for them. In the last few years, whenever Real Madrid qualified for the later stages of the competition from the group stage, they have faced upsets in many of the first-leg encounters away from home. But in the second leg, most of the time they turn things around in their home ground.
In 2022, in the first leg of the semi-final of the tournament, Real Madrid lost the match against Manchester City at a scoreline of 4-3. But then they made a comeback in the second leg. In the second leg, they won in Santiago Bernabeu at a score line of 3-1, which paved their way to the finals. If we go further back another year, similar circumstances can be seen. In 2021, Real Madrid defeated Liverpool in the first leg at Santiago Bernabeu at a score line of 3-1.
Although the second lead at the field was a goalless match for both sides, the home win helped advance to the semi-finals of the tournament. Again in 2017, the same incident was recorded. Real Madrid won the First leg of Semi finals at Bernabeu Stadium 3-0 against League Rivals Atletico Madrid. Although they lost the second leg at the Wanda Metropolitan Stadium 2-1, they managed to advance to the finals and won it too. In 2016, Manchester City held Real Madrid in 0-0 tie at the Etihad Stadium but later in the 2nd leg of the semi-finals, they defeated the English Champions 1-0 at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
All these records are proof that Santiago Bernabeu is not just a home ground for the club but a beacon of hope for them too. Real Madrid outside Bernabeu and Madrid at their all-time favorite venue, their home turf are two different entities and these stats are just some of the poofs for the statements. The electrifying atmosphere, the warmth of the loyal fans, support from all over the stadium, and the push to take a step further, all help Real Madrid to make miracles happen at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu stadium. No wonder Real Madrid and Santiago Bernabeu are a match made in heaven.
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Arpan Ghosh
(1403 Articles Published)