“They’ve been fortunate”- Jamie Carragher believes Real Madrid stands no chance against Liverpool in Champions League 2021-22 final
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Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher believes Real Madrid has been fortunate to reach the UEFA Champions League final this season. He also said that they are not as good as the Reds as he backed his former team to win the game.
Both teams are set to clash in the Champions League final at the Stade de France in Paris on Saturday, May 28. The Merseysiders have had a relatively easy run to the final, facing the likes of Benfica and Villarreal.
The Merseyside club can still secure a cup treble as they have set up a Champions League final clash against Real Madrid this Saturday. The two sides met in the European competition’s final in 2018 where the Spanish side emerged victorious as they claimed their third straight Champions League title.
The Blancos will aim to win their fifth European title in ten years as Carlo Ancelotti leads his side against Jurgen Klopp’s men on Saturday at the Stade de France. Liverpool icon Jamie Carragher insisted that his former side would win the final as they don’t rely on luck as their counterparts do.
Considering the same, Carragher believes Real Madrid has been fortunate. He also touched on the fighting spirit his former team has, referring to their 3-1 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers on the final day of the Premier League season. They were 1-0 down inside three minutes but went on to win the game. However, they eventually lost the title to Manchester City by a solitary point.
Speaking on the Blood Red Podcast, Carragher said:
“Liverpool have got the powers of recovery mentally. I never feared when that early goal went in that they wouldn’t win the game but you don’t want to be doing that too often towards the end of the season because you can see signs in the second half, where are they going to get this energy from?”
He added that the first goal will be crucial in the final and stressed that manager Jurgen Klopp’s men must not concede it. Carragher said: “They always seem to find it, they always seem to do something to win the game but you don’t want to be chasing a game, against Real Madrid the first goal could be vital and you don’t want to be chasing a good side on a big pitch late in the season with so many games in your legs.”
He added: “That’s something Liverpool has to look at and fingers crossed they don’t concede the first goal. They just play in moments, I’ve watched them from the first game in the Champions League when they lost to a team called Sheriff.”
Is Jamie Carragher right about Real Madrid?
Is Jamie Carragher right? Was Real Madrid lucky to beat Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City, and Chelsea? Or is there something more to Carlo Ancelotti’s side appearing in this Saturday’s Champions League final?
The pattern of those victories – particularly in the second legs at the Santiago Bernabeu – have been similar. Real started the return fixtures poorly, conceded first, and watched their opponents miss a host of chances to seal their respective progressions at Los Blancos’ expense before Karim Benzema led the comeback charge very late in each of the games.
When Real Madrid was 2-0 down on aggregate to Paris Saint-Germain and heading out of this season’s Champions League at the last-16 stage, one moment from the sidelines summed up this team’s resilience.
Moments after Kylian Mbappe seemed to put PSG into the last eight, the cameras cut to Real substitute Rodrygo, sat behind manager Carlo Ancelotti, who gestured his hands downwards to suggest a feeling of calm. It was as if he knew what was to come.
What followed in Real’s route to the final has been remarkable, yet consistent. Karim Benzema’s 15-minute hat-trick to down PSG, goals before and during extra time in a comeback win over Chelsea – and then that bizarre stoppage time recovery to knock out Manchester City in the semi-finals. Not even Hollywood writes scripts like these. As Deadpool once didn’t say,” This ain’t lazy writing!”
The pattern of those victories – particularly in the second legs at the Santiago Bernabeu – has also been similar. Real started the return fixtures poorly, conceded first, and watched their opponents miss a host of chances to seal their respective progressions at Los Blancos’ expense before Benzema led the comeback charge.
There has been a hint of fortune about Real reaching the final – especially considering how many opportunities their Champions League knockout opponents missed against them. Mbappe had two goals ruled out by VAR in the last-16, Christian Pulisic and Kai Havertz missed glaring chances for Chelsea in the quarter-finals, and City’s Jack Grealish could have netted twice late on for Manchester City in the semi-final second leg.
Had Real come back from the depths of despair just the once, then many would point the finger toward luck being solely behind the La Liga side’s route to the final. But three times? All in the same manner? Against three teams who have reached the Champions League final in the past two years? It’s now a pattern – and it remains to be seen whether it’ll be seen in the Champions League final as well.
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Aryan Sharma
(95 Articles Published)