BENZ ON DESTRUCTION
Real Madrid ace Benzema reveals he had been waiting to score a Panenka penalty ‘for some time’ after stunner vs Man City
REAL MADRID superstar Karim Benzema looked back at his Panenka penalty against Manchester City and revealed he had been waiting to score like that for a long time.
Benzema led Real to the Champions League Final after two smashing semi-final legs against City, with his spot-kick being remembered as the grandest highlight of the exchange.
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The star striker kept the tie alive at the Etihad as his stunning penalty kick meant Los Blancos only needed one goal at the Santiago Bernabeu to equalise on aggregate after a 4-3 loss.
And the France international's masterpiece proved to be crucial as it inspired the Spanish champions to a dramatic comeback in Madrid where they won 3-1 on extra-time.
The 34-year-old always wanted to try the Panenka but was saving it for a match with tremendous pressure and high stakes, just like the one against Man City.
The Frenchman was so focused he had no problem to dink the ball right down the middle and send Ederson sprawling.
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Benzema told RMC Sport: "I'd been trying it for a long time and I was waiting for the right moment, in a match like this with a lot of pressure. In this way, the pressure is gone.
"There was pressure, obviously, but it's good pressure. It's a kind of pressure that allows you to try this kind of thing. That's just my opinion.
"I put the ball down and knew that I was going to do it. I thought of nothing else. I only thought of doing it.
"I always do that. Not just this time. If I don't do it, I don't see or hear the whistle.
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" I'm so focused that I can't hear anything anymore. I'm just focused on my actions, hoping that the ball goes in.
"I kept my eyes on the ball [after the shot] because it was a good shot.
"That's why I was looking at it, not because I thought it was going to hit the bar, but because it was a nice shot. I just watched and waited before I could celebrate the goal."
Real take on Liverpool in the Champions League Final on May 28 at the Stade de France in Paris.