It was a crazy night, the kind that only the Champions League can give us.
In a Santiago Bernabeu stadium which is definitely very lucky in terms of crazy scenarios this season - PSG remembers -, Real Madrid managed to validate their victory in the first leg against Chelsea and qualify for the semi-finals. Champions League finals.
But not at all with the expected scenario.
Summary in four parts of a football evening really like no other.
Act 1: only Chelsea on the pitch
Inflicting a comeback on a Spanish club, you had to dare.
Swept away in the first leg (1-3) at his Stamford Bridge, the reigning European champion had not given up on arriving in Madrid.
The start of the match was the most striking proof of this.
From the 15th minute of play, Mason Mount took advantage of a nice collective action to open the scoring with a very nice shot into the side netting.
The evening is launched.
Real does not react, or almost.
At the start of the second period, it was even Chelsea who caught up with a fine header, from a corner, from defender Antonio Rüdiger.
2-0, perfect equality (the away goals rule no longer exists), and proof of a total physical domination of the Londoners.
So much so that they will allow themselves to score twice the goal of 3-0, the one which was to be that of the qualification.
First by Marcos Alonso, finally refused for a slight hand, then by a Timo Werner in training in the Madrid area.
Fifteen minutes from the end, Real seem dead and almost buried, without a solution, despite a header on the bar from Karim Benzema and some good crosses from Ferland Mendy.
Act 2: Modric, an exter' for eternity
To wake up and save Real, a gesture of genius was needed.
And for once at Real, it didn't come from Karim Benzema, but from the 2018 Ballon d'Or Luka Modric.
From the outside of the foot to knock any football fan out of his chair, he finds Rodrygo at the far post, in depth.
The latter, who has just returned, does not miss his recovery and puts Real Madrid in the game.
Head to the extension.
After the match, while replays of his ball touch went around the world, the Croatian offered himself a short tweet that quickly went viral with Madrid fans: "Giving up is not an option".
🖼 A masterpiece by Luka #Modric.
🇭🇷 #RealMadrid #Modric pic.twitter.com/CagqtP5Tfp
— Real Madrid news 🇫🇷 (@RMadrid_actu) April 12, 2022
Act 3: Benzema as a savior, favorite for the Ballon d'Or?
Who else but him to send Real to the semi-finals?
While his main competitor for the Ballon d'Or Robert Lewandowski scored but was eliminated in the quarter-finals by Villarreal, Karim Benzema rocked a match that was waiting for him to become even crazier.
Well placed, he takes the lead and full of confidence a cross back from Vinicius.
Real completes its "climb in the climb" and Benzema is more than ever the big favorite in the race for the Ballon d'Or.
Act 4: Real repels the latest attacks from Chelsea
Fort Alamo on the Real Madrid goal.
In the last fifteen minutes, the domination of Chelsea players, much stronger physically, is total.
Despite several chances and numerous set pieces, on which goalkeeper Edouard Mendy even climbed to try to bring the surplus, the European champions did not succeed.
Ziyech's final shot rolls past the goal of a nervously solid Courtois.
In a Bernabeu in a trance, Real qualified for a new semi-final of the Champions League.
“Like the last time, it was crazy again, we scared each other until the end, said with stars in his eyes the French midfielder of Real Eduardo Camavinga, author also of a very convincing entry.
We conceded goals but the most important thing is to have responded.
It's not a miracle.
Against Paris also people thought we were dead and we went up the slope.
We play until the end.
It's a crazy thing.
We couldn't put it better.