Karim Benzema makes bold claims about Liverpool ahead of Real Madrid champions league rematch

Karim Benzema makes bold claims about Liverpool ahead of Real Madrid champions league rematch

Liverpool will meet Los Blancos in the Champions League final on Saturday night, looking to revenge defeats in Kyiv four years ago and the quarterfinals last season.

Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema feels they know exactly what they’ll face in Paris, admitting Liverpool “haven’t changed much over the years.”

The LaLiga champions face the Premier League runners-up in a fascinating match on Saturday night to determine Europe’s monarchs.

It’s a rematch of the 2018 final, which Los Blancos won, and the quarter final from last season, which had the same outcome.

Karim Benzema equalised for Real Madrid. (Photo by Getty Images)

However, this Liverpool team is drastically different from the one that faced Madrid in 2021, with the Reds having finally conquered their chronic injury problems.

Karim Benzema believes his team has the gameplan to beat their opponents at the Stade de France.

“They’re very good,” he explained. “They haven’t changed much over the years. But in the end we have to look at our game. And if we do our thing, then what happens happens. I’m confident.”

Madrid enters the final on the tail of a spectacular season in which they have come back against Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, and most recently Manchester City.

All of those comeback victories have occurred at the Santiago Bernabeu, as a result of constant pressure on their opponents.

And Benzema believes that against Liverpool, they will need to play a similar style to the one they used against City in the first leg, which is based on quick counter-attacks.

He added: “You play away, not at home. They put a lot of pressure on you. You have to hold on and play on the counterattack… or with the ball.”

Carlo Ancelotti’s tactics for the showpiece final were also revealed by Dani Carvajal, who hinted that they will try to break Liverpool’s stifling press and then generate rapid transitions up the field.

“If we get past that first line of pressure we can create a lot of danger. It could be one of the keys to the game,” the Madrid defender added.

Thibaut Courtois is one of the exceptions to the rule in a team full of Champions League final winners, hoping to win the European Cup for the first time in his career.

The Belgian said: “Each game is different. Playing against them is always fascinating. Anything can happen.

“It’s a dream to play for Madrid and even more so to be able to add something to the history of this club. What we’ve experienced this season with the fans has been incredible”

“It’s a great team, very intense, that plays with high pressure. We’ll have to defend well. They throw the line very high and we’ll have to take advantage of it.”

In other news, Agbonlahor tips 30-year-old Premier League star to win the Ballon d’Or award ahead of Benzema, Lewandowski and Salah