Real Madrid, having won the first leg with a score of 2-1 thanks to a crucial goal from Brahim Diaz, made the short trip to the Civitas Metropolitano in an attempt to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
At the start of the match, the Moroccan international from Real Madrid found himself on the substitutes’ bench, as often happens with Carlo Ancelotti this season, who sees him as a “super sub.” Unfortunately, the Merengues were quickly caught off guard, as within the first seconds of play, Simeone’s men leveled the score across both legs, forcing Brahim Diaz’s teammates to step up and try to equalize. Brahim, for his part, had to wait patiently before entering the game in the 78th minute to energize the right flank of Real’s attack.
His introduction brought liveliness and imbalance to the Madrid side, but it was in vain… at least during regular time, as the match continued into 30 minutes of extra time that might not have been necessary if Vinicius hadn’t missed a crucial penalty at the end of the match.
Brahim, on his side, was sharp with a more than convincing entry, which increases the regrets regarding his placement on the bench given his quality of play and ability to break through, in addition to his skill in holding the ball to better release his teammates. This performance should make the transalpine coach Ancelotti reconsider his underutilization.
However, despite his influential entry into the game, Real Madrid couldn’t make the difference and slowly headed toward a penalty shootout, an intense affair as usual. Ultimately, it is Brahim Diaz’s Real Madrid that will thus advance to the quarter-finals of the Champions League, keeping alive the possibility of adding a 17th ‘Big Ears’ trophy to their collection.
