Benzema, Rodrygo and Joselu. Madrid’s miracle factory added its latest hero to its infinite saints list. Joselu, 34 years and 42 days, on loan from Espanyol at the beginning of the season after two consecutive relegations. Who gives more? “You become a footballer to live what you have experienced in the past. Work has led me to be here. Surely many would doubt at the beginning of the season. The insistence, the trust of the coach, of my teammates… The work pays off. With all the injuries, playing in a Champions League final is a big deal,” the forward tried to explain in the middle of another inexplicable night at the Bernabéu, in which Madrid reached its 18th European Cup final. “I didn’t expect this squad to do this either. Reaching the final is a success,” said an elated Carlo Ancelotti.
2
Andriy Lunin, Nacho, Dani Carvajal, Rüdiger, Ferland Mendy, Aurelien Tchouameni (Camavinga, min. 69), Federico Valverde (Joselu, min. 80), Kroos (Modric, min. 69), Jude Bellingham (Eder Militao, min. 99), Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo (Brahim Diaz, min. 80)
1
Neuer, Joshua Kimmich, Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui, Eric Dier, Laimer, Gnabry (Alphonso Davies, min. 27), Sane (Kim Min-Jae, min. 76), Jamal Musiala (Müller, min. 84), Aleksandar Pavlovic and Kane (Choupo-Moting, min. 84)
Goals 0-1 min. 67: Alphonso Davies. 1-1 min. 87: Joselu. 2-1 min. 90: Joselu.
Referee Szymon Marciniak
Yellow cards Tuchel (min. 97) and Camavinga (min. 100)
“Two goals that give you a place in the final cannot be said by everyone. Nights like today do not enter one’s dreams. My teammates have seen that I am a humble, hard-working boy, and that from the beginning of the season I have worked and done things well,” claimed the striker, author of two goals in two minutes and 40 seconds to lift a dead man. Seventeen overall for the campaign coming off the bench.
Thomas Tüchel already warned: Madrid’s goals happen, they are not announced. Vinicius shot at whatever came out, Neuer trembled and Joselu appeared from the depths of the earth. Again. A butterfly flapping its wings in the middle of the desert once again caused another earthquake in Chamartín, the stadium that eats teams. PSG, Chelsea, City, Bayern… “The coach told us before: these games are also won with the heart,” Joselu recalled.
The striker had been sulking for three months. Since his goal against Rayo on a dull Sunday afternoon in Vallecas, at the beginning of February, there had hardly been a trace of him on loan from Espanyol. He had scored against Cádiz last Saturday, but that was nothing more than circumstantial in a victory already finalized.
Carlo Ancelotti had claimed Harry Kane a year ago to take Benzema’s place. And the one who arrived in Valdebebas was Joselu, who had been relegated twice in a row. The last one, with Espanyol. Carletto came to him in the 81st minute as an emergency resource. The well from which Madrid extracted oil. There is always a little gold for white people.
Bayern’s complaint
He equalized by grabbing the rebound from the German goalkeeper (“it was a mistake by our best player,” admitted Thomas Tüchel) and, once again, nothing made sense again in La Castellana. In reality, Madrid had the entire nine-minute stoppage time left over. Riding another wave of madness, Joselu crowned the biggest night of his career by finishing off an attacking play by Nacho and Rüdiger in the small area. If two years ago he was in Paris as an amateur, on June 1 in London he will be on the bench where he emerges.
The veteran cried on the edge of the area while the stadium thundered “Joselu, Joselu, Joselu.” The last miracle man in a very long saga. Two shots and two goals for a player who played his first Champions League game last September. Vinicius grabbed his shirt and showed his number 15 to the public. At 34 years and 42 days, Joselu Mato became the oldest substitute to score a double in a Champions League knockout match.
Bayern left criticizing the referee for De Ligt’s goal disallowed in injury time. “Having the balls to raise the flag is a major mistake. This would not have happened the other way around,” Tüchel complained. A censorship that was joined by the author of the goal: “I think we all know the rules. If the offside is not clear, you have to let the game play. “It has been a shame,” added the defender, who also admitted that there are things with Madrid that are beyond anyone’s control. “When you think they are dead, they have a last breath. It is the reason for their 14 Champions League”, the center-back closed dejectedly.
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