Ancelotti set to make history against Liverpool in Champions League final
Real Madrid have qualified for the Champions League Final where Carlo Ancelotti could become the first-ever coach to win the trophy four times.
The Merengues completed an incredible comeback against Manchester City at the Bernabeu in the second leg of the Champions League semis. They were 1-0 down at minute 90, but Rodrygo scored twice in the stoppages, sending the game to extra time. Karim Benzema completed the job, scoring the winner from the spot in extra time.
The La Liga giants will face Liverpool in the Final at Paris’ Stade de France on May 28. Ancelotti has already won the Champions League three times, like Bob Paisley and Zizou Zidane, his former assistant at the Bernabeu.
If he beats the Reds he will become the first coach to win the trophy four times. The former Milan tactician has already made history, having reached the fifth Champions League Final in his career, the most of any other coach. Surely, he will be looking for more in three weeks.
The ex-Milan boss won the La Liga title last weekend, becoming the first coach to triumph in the top five European leagues.
With City ahead 4-3 from the first leg, Real won the second leg 3-1 to book their place in the final against Liverpool.
It means Pep Guardiola’s search for a Champions League triumph continues, having gone down to Chelsea in the final last season.
The game was evenly poised at half-time as Real sat deep and tried to beat the ball-dominant City on the counter attack.
That plan was blown out of the water when Riyad Mahrez put City ahead by two goals on aggregate.
Slipped through by Bernardo Silva, Mahrez went against his natural instinct of curling the ball into far corner and instead smashed it past Thibaut Courtois at his near post.
The home crowd was stunned, but just as they did against PSG and Chelsea, Los Blancos did not give up on their supporters.
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The first goal came after 90 minutes when Karim Benzema set-up substitute Rodrygo to flick the ball past Ederson.
Everyone watching the game though there was no chance of another goal, that was until a minute later when Rodrygo rose majestically to head past Ederson and book extra-time.
Momentum swung massively to the home side, who waved their arms at their supporters after every tackle and positive piece of play.
The winner came just five minutes in extra-time when Ruben Dias brought down Benzema in the box.
The Frenchman opted for a traditional shot into the bottom corner after scoring a cheeky Panenka penalty in the first leg.
Real and Liverpool will meet in the final in Paris on May 28 in what is a re-match of the 2018 final, which the Spanish side took out 3-1.