“UEFA thought they could punish RM for the super league and they lost” - Joel Embiid shocked as Real Madrid pull off a stunning second half comeback to advance to the Champions League quarterfinals

Joel Embiid of Team Durant dunks during the  All-Star Game on Feb. 20 in Cleveland, Ohio.
Joel Embiid of Team Durant dunks during the All-Star Game on Feb. 20 in Cleveland, Ohio.

All Real Madrid fans across the world, Joel Embiid included, are in utmost disbelief as the Los Blancos came back to defeat Paris Saint-Germain to advance to the quarterfinals. Madrid were down by a lone goal by Kylian Mbappe at the end of the first half.

It seemed like the end of the road for the Spanish side as they suffered a 0-2 aggregate in favor of PSG. If they were to stand any chance of winning, they would need to score three goals, or two goals to force extra time (as the home/away goal rule has been nullified).

Madrid's center forward Karim Benzema understood the assignment and set out to show why he is the best forward in Spain. He scored three goals in 17 minutes in the second half to steal the win for Real Madrid. Embiid, like every other fan, was shocked at the outcome as they wrote off a quarterfinal qualification.

"This is incredible. I’m still shocked. What a win!! UEFA thought they could punish RM for the super league and they lost," Embiid tweeted.

Joel Embiid suggested that Real Madrid were being punished by UEFA for the Super League with the PSG fixture, but failed

Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers dunks against Zach LaVine (8 )and DeMar DeRozan (11) of the Chicago Bulls on Monday in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Bulls 121-106..
Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers dunks against Zach LaVine (8 )and DeMar DeRozan (11) of the Chicago Bulls on Monday in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Bulls 121-106..

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid suggested in his tweet that UEFA attempted to punish Real Madrid for their involvement in the controversial Super League creation. But this, he said, was futile as the team made a comeback and defeated Les Parisiens.

While this is a bold claim, Real Madrid and several top teams in Europe were implementing a top-tier competition until backing away after substantial backlash. The Super League would have rivaled the Champions League and the very existence of the UEFA body.

The Super League was angled at positioning the 12 top clubs involved at the highest tier of European football forever. There were six English clubs: Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal FC, Chelsea FC, Liverpool FC and Tottenham Hotspurs FC. And there were three Spanish clubs – Real Madrid, FC Barcelona and Athletico Madrid – and three Italian – Inter Milan, Juventus and AC Milan.

It was fought on every corner by fans, pundits and several football governing bodies in Europe and its environs. Due to the heavy resistance, it was relinquished to the background. But rumors have it that plans are still being hatched to see it come to fruition in the coming years.

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Edited by Joseph Schiefelbein