For Real Madrid, Number 14 is Different
For most of the matches in their history, Real Madrid have not been underdogs. In fact, they are often such large favorites that anything less than a convincing win is disappointing. Of course, when you have won 14 Champions League titles and 35 La Liga titles, winning is the expectation. Yet this magical run to the 14th Champions League title, secured with a 1-0 victory over the favored Liverpool, was quite different. Although this squad has vast previous European experience, including winning three in a row from 2016-18, most “experts” viewed them as past their prime. In each of the knockout stage fixtures, against Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Liverpool, most people viewed Madrid as the lesser team. In the past, Champions League titles for Madrid have only solidified the consensus that they were the best team in Europe, but the 2022 triumph has been, or their standards, one full of upsets.
Even after victories in the competition, where they have not only proven their quality but the value of experience as well, pundits doubted them. Against PSG, Karim Benzema’s second half hat trick turned around a tie where Real once looked down and out, leading them to a 3-2 aggregate victory. In post match analysis with CBS, Jamie Carragher confidently claimed that this season’s Madrid side has no chance of winning the UCL, especially with top sides such as Bayern Munich, Man City, Chelsea, and Liverpool to compete against. Not only did Madrid obviously prove him wrong, but they did so while knocking out three of the sides he named as favorites.
Many of the players in this Madrid side, those with winning experience and those without, were counted out as well. Thibaut Courtois spoke after his man of the match performance in the final, calling out English journalists who did not put him among the top goalkeepers in the world. Vinicius Junior, ridiculed over the past few seasons for a lack of end product, notched 22 goals and 20 assists in all competitions, including the match winner in Saturday’s final. Dani Carvajal was pointed out as a weakness in the Madrid side, yet was probably the best defender on the pitch. Karim Benzema has always been great, but it took possibly the greatest individual Champions League campaign of all time for his name to even be mentioned in the conversation of best strikers in the world. Even Carlo Ancelotti had been deemed past his prime after a middling spell with Everton in the Premier League.
Courtois was magnificent in the final
Individually and collectively, this Madrid side has been doubted at every stage this season, yet they proved so many wrong and collected a league and European Cup double. They have made so many look silly with their predictions, and while it hasn’t been the peak levels of football that was seen from 2016-18, they have produced magical moments and as always, won. The disrespect has not stopped, even after lifting the trophy, as Michael Owen of BT Sport proudly proclaimed Liverpool was still the best side in Europe, and countless others have diminished Real’s win because Liverpool might have looked better, had more shots, and more possession. But one team in white stands alone, and for the fans of players of Real Madrid, the 14th is special.