Real Madrid News
Benzema, Valverde react after Liverpool 2-5 Real Madrid: “Have to enjoy these moments”
Real Madrid bulldozed past Liverpool with a flabbergasting scoreline of 5-2 at Anfield late on Tuesday night. The result comes as a big boost to the Merengues’ chances of progression to the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals as they now head into the home leg with a three-goal advantage.
Vinicius Jr and Karim Benzema were the stars on the night, scoring two goals each to pull off the comeback. They were helped on their way by a good effort from Eder Militao who also got onto the scoresheet.
Benzema, who did play against Osasuna at the weekend, spoke to the media after his impressive return to action. The club captain began his interaction by dedicating the win to Real Madrid’s honorary president Amancio Amaro, who unfortunately passed away earlier in the day.
“It was an important night for us. I would like to dedicate this match to our honorary president, Amancio, this win is for him,” he said.
The Ballon d’Or winner then went on to describe the team’s overall performance, the poor start to the game, and the eventual coming to the rhythm.
“It was a match full of character and goals, we love the Champions League. It was very good, we started a little bit worse, we know that Liverpool and their fans create a lot of pressure, but after the first 20 minutes we saw Real Madrid,” he said.
Liverpool were seemingly on their way to their first win over Real Madrid in recent times as they pounced to a two-goal lead. Benzema acknowledged the same but revealed that Vinicius’ opener turned the game around.
“Football is always tough. They started the game better than us, 2-0 up after 14 minutes. We had to do better and we kept going until the end. One goal can change a game and that’s what happened today,” Benzema stated.
“Many things can change in football, though. We’re in good shape and we’re going to have another fantastic game at the Bernabéu.”
Anfield produces one of Europe’s most electric atmospheres and is often called a visitor’s nightmare. Benzema thanked both sets of fans for turning up in massive numbers.
“Thanks to the Liverpool fans. And especially thanks to our fans because, as I always say, they are our 12th man.”
Finally, the Frenchman shared his thoughts about his difficult start to the season and the games he missed through injury. While the player admitted that he was in a difficult moment, he gave fans a reason to cheer with an update on his situation.
“I’ve not played much so far, but the important thing is that I’m contributing to the team with goals and assists, as I did today. I’m coming off the back of a season where I played a lot of games.
“I was injured after the World Cup and it’s difficult to reach the top level. But I’m feeling gradually better, today I put in a good performance and I’m going to keep going”.
Valverde insists the job is not done
Federico Valverde started the game in midfield, taking the place of Toni Kroos whom the manager chose not to risk. The Uruguayan has been one of Los Blancos’ most influential players this season and spoke to the press about Carlo Ancelotti’s half-time advice to kick-start his interview.
“What Ancelotti said to us at half-time is important. He said a lot of things in a few words. He backed us at the right time and it helped us to get back on our feet. He told us that we could win, that we had to go out focused,” Valverde said.
Having a manager capable of motivating the team even in the deepest of troughs is a blessing that cannot be described. Valverde ran the media through the emotions of the team in the first half and the period that followed, saying:
“We made mistakes and they scored two goals. That desire to keep a clean sheet and play a good game came crashing down, but we were able to fight back and show a lot of pride. The coach was very calm at half-time. He told us that we’d win, that we’d keep looking for the spaces, that we’d find them because we have the squad to do that.”
The midfielder then shed some light on Ancelotti’s tactics on the night and what was expected of him in what was a new position. He also ran through the changes he made to his game in the second half when the system worked better, as he said:
“We started with Camavinga and me playing deeper to try to get the ball out and Modrić further up the pitch near Vini, Benzema, and Rodrygo. But we couldn’t get it working, we made mistakes and in the end, we changed. I tried to play a bit further up to help press and win the ball back up top.”
Every team needs a spark to light up the morale and get them going. Valverde revealed that against Liverpool, it was a combination of luck and quality that did the trick.
“A nice piece of play by Vini really boosted our spirits. We then got lucky with the second goal. Following that, playing more calmly and more simply, we created more chances,” he stated.
Like a true professional, the Uruguayan concluded his interview by asking his team not to get ahead of themselves. He insisted that the tie was far from over with another leg to come.
“You have to enjoy these moments, it’s not every day that you can win like this in a stadium like this and against such a historic team. We have to value everyone’s hard work and of course, keep working with humility because there’s still the second leg to come.”
Source: Real Madrid official website
Real Madrid and Inter Milan are two clubs where history carries an unusual amount of weight.
The white shirt of Real Madrid and the famous black-and-blue stripes of Inter have been worn by some of football’s greatest players, with both clubs demanding not only talent but the ability to handle enormous expectations.
Moving between the two is therefore no ordinary career decision.
The clubs operate in different football cultures, compete in different domestic environments and have their own tactical traditions, but the pressure attached to representing either institution is remarkably similar.
Despite that, a select group of players have experienced both worlds.
Some arrived at Real Madrid after making their name in Italy, while another made his reputation in Madrid before becoming a key figure in one of Inter’s greatest teams.
On that note, here are three footballers you might have forgotten who represented both Real Madrid and Inter Milan during their careers.
Roberto Carlos: From Inter disappointment to Real Madrid legend
Few players are as synonymous with Real Madrid as Roberto Carlos.
The Brazilian left-back became a cult hero at the Santiago Bernabeu, but his European journey took him to Italy before Madrid. In 1995, he joined Inter Milan and spent one season with the Nerazzurri.
It was a productive campaign on an individual level. Roberto Carlos made 34 appearances and scored seven goals, which is an extraordinary return for a defender and an early indication of the attacking qualities that would eventually make him one of the most recognisable full-backs in football.
His time in Milan, though, lasted only a season.
Real Madrid moved to sign him, and the transfer proved to be one of the most important pieces of business in the club’s modern history.
Roberto Carlos would spend 11 seasons in the Spanish capital and establish himself as one of the defining players of his generation.
Across his Madrid career, he made 584 appearances in all competitions and scored 71 goals.
During his time, the Brazilian won four La Liga titles and was part of the team that reached three Champions League finals in 1998, 2000 and 2002. Madrid won all three.
The 2002 final against Bayer Leverkusen produced one of the defining moments of that era.
Roberto Carlos delivered the cross that Zinedine Zidane spectacularly converted for the winning goal, securing another European crown for Madrid.
Fabio Cannavaro: A Ballon d’Or winner in Madrid
Fabio Cannavaro’s connection with both clubs is perhaps less widely remembered, particularly because the Italian defender’s reputation is strongly associated with his homeland and Real Madrid.
Cannavaro developed through Napoli and Parma before earning a move to Inter Milan in 2002.
The Nerazzurri reportedly paid around €23 million for the centre-back, handing him a four-year contract.
His start at Inter was encouraging, but the relationship eventually became complicated.
Cannavaro left the club in 2004 and joined Juventus, where he spent two seasons before another major move changed the course of his career.
In 2006, Real Madrid signed him from Juventus for a reported €7 million.
That same year, he captained Italy to World Cup glory and produced a series of outstanding performances during the tournament.
His achievements were recognised on an individual level too, as he won the 2006 Ballon d’Or and FIFA World Player of the Year award.
Cannavaro spent three seasons at Real Madrid and added domestic success to his already extraordinary year.
He won La Liga in both the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons, becoming an important defensive figure during Madrid’s successful campaigns.
His Inter career never reached the same heights, and Cannavaro himself has spoken critically about aspects of his experience there.
But his journey from Inter to Juventus and eventually Real Madrid produced one of the most decorated defensive careers of his generation.
Esteban Cambiasso: Madrid academy product turned Inter great
Esteban Cambiasso’s story is arguably the most interesting of the three because, unlike Roberto Carlos and Cannavaro, he began his connection with Real Madrid at youth level.
The Argentine midfielder joined Madrid’s academy at a young age alongside his brother Nicolas.
After returning to Argentina to gain regular first-team football with Independiente and River Plate, Cambiasso eventually returned to Madrid.
He became part of the first-team setup in 2002 and enjoyed a trophy-winning spell with the club.
Cambiasso won La Liga, the Intercontinental Cup, the UEFA Super Cup and the Spanish Super Cup during his time in Madrid.
Yet his stay in the Spanish capital ultimately came to an end when his contract expired in 2004 and the club decided against renewing it.
That decision opened the door to Inter, where he truly established himself as one of the finest midfielders of his generation.
He spent a decade with the Nerazzurri, becoming an important figure in one of the most successful periods in the club’s history.
Cambiasso won five league titles during his time at Inter and became particularly important in Jose Mourinho’s side.
In the 2009-10 season, Cambiaso’s Inter won the Champions League by defeating Bayern Munich in the final, completing a historic treble.
