Champions League: Real Madrid, Karim Benzema and the greatest remontada of all

Karim Benzema was the hero once again as Real Madrid produced another stunning comeback to shock Manchester City and reach the Champions League final. Impossible, unthinkable, unimaginable – yet not for the first time.

In modern football parlance, the phrase remontada (Spanish for "comeback") is generally used to refer to Barcelona's famous recovery against Paris Saint-Germain on March 8, 2017.

But this season, it's more applicable to Spanish rivals Real Madrid, who have staged sensational remontadas in each Champions League knock-out round en route to a 17th European Cup final in Paris.

And the seemingly unstoppable Karim Benzema has played a decisive role in each tie.

In the last-16, at halftime in the second leg, Real were 0-2 down on aggregate against PSG before a Benzema hattrick turned the game on its head.

In the quarterfinal, another Benzema hattrick away at Chelsea seemed to have put the tie to bed. Even after the Blues rallied to lead 4-3 in the second leg, the Frenchman was on hand to win it in extra-time.

But Benzema and Real saved the most specular remontada for the semifinal against Manchester City. A Benzema brace in a 4-3 first-leg defeat kept Real in the tie but, while substitute Rodrygo's quickfire goals in the second leg will deservedly take the plaudits, it was captain Benzema who won and scored the winning penalty in extra-time.

King Karim

With 15 Champions League goals so far this season, to add to 26 in La Liga, the striker is in the form of his life at the ripe old age of 34, and more than merited the choreography unveiled by the Real fans ahead of kickoff, featuring his countenance.

"Otra noche magica de los reyes de europa," read the text, predicting: "Another magical night for the kings of Europe." And so it proved, for Real and for Benzema.

Having often played second fiddle to Cristiano Ronaldo since arriving at the Bernabeu simultaneously in 2009, Benzema has taken on the lead role since the Portuguese's departure in 2018.

Not only has he flourished as the focal point of the attack; he's also adapted his game to that of a modern center forward who is just as comfortable dropping deep to launch attacks and set up goals as he is poaching in front of goal.

In doing so, he's earned comparisons with Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski – another veteran who, just one year younger than Benzema, is also getting better with age. Zlatan Ibrahimovic fell into a similar category, while Ronaldo also continues to deliver – albeit under trickier circumstances at Manchester United.

Still, since Ronaldo's Madrid departure, Real haven't been able to add to their record 13 European Cups, even dropping out twice in the last-16.

Ancelotti and the greatest of all

remontada

And by rights, perhaps this Real Madrid team shouldn't be competing in Champions League finals at all in 2022, not in an era dominated by the Pep Guardiola's scientifically perfect (if financially dubious) Manchester City, and the thunderous express train which is Jürgen Klopp's Liverpool.

Luka Modric is 36 and often a shadow of his former self, yet still capable of moments of sheer genius such as his chip to Rodrygo in the quarterfinal against Chelsea with the outsight of his magical right foot.

Toni Kroos is 33 and appears to most onlookers to be too slow for the modern game, yet there he still is, switching play, conducting the orchestra and posing a threat from set pieces. At 30, Dani Carvajal is relatively old for a modern fullback, while Casemiro has also hit 30.

And on the touchline, Carlo Ancelotti has returned. The old godfather has won this competition with AC Milan (2003 and 2007) and Real Madrid (2014) – two entirely different eras. Now, having suddenly left Everton to answer the call and replace Zinedine Zidane, he will face Liverpool again in what could be the

culmination of his own personal remontada.

With King Karim Benzema leading the line, anything is possible.