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There were plenty of highlights from the two legs between Liverpool and Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final.
The goals – although all were scored in the first leg – were sleek and well-taken, while the game itself had the aura of a true rivalry between two of Europe’s most successful teams.
The tactical duel was equally one that caught the eye of fans and pundits alike, with Zinedine Zidane and Jurgen Klopp bringing all their resources to bear over two legs.
In the end, though, only one team could secure a place in the semi-final of the Champions League and that ticket was picked by Real Madrid, who advanced after a 3-1 aggregate win.
Blancos impressively reach semi-final
Real Madrid haven't been spectacular, by any measure, this season. They barely scraped through the Champions League group stage after a really difficult start.
Yet, here they are – securing a place in the last four and just three games away from winning a record-extending 14th European title.
Wednesday’s goalless draw with Liverpool was yet another piece of evidence of how this team has mastered the art of winning two-legged ties. They may have underwhelmed in Europe in the last two years, but Los Blancos are finally back among the elite.
Once Real Madrid sealed a 3-1 win in the first leg, the tie was already over and all they needed to do was see it out at Anfield.
For a team of their pedigree, not even missing some of their key players – Sergio Ramos, Lucas Vazquez, Eden Hazard, Dani Carvajal were all ruled out – could stop them from getting the job done against Liverpool.
Zidane coaching bringing the best out of Madrid squad
It’s amazing how Zidane continues to get the best out of this Real Madrid team. The squad was obviously depleted due to injuries, leaving the Frenchman with a very thin pool to select from.
Rather than moan about the situation, he has kicked on and is delivering with the materials at his disposal. Los Blancos have beaten Barcelona and Liverpool in the space of a week and continue to grow stronger.
On Wednesday, Real Madrid’s line-up against Liverpool had several players playing in makeshift roles but they still managed to hold their own to secure qualification to the semi-final.
“It's the option I decided to go with, Valverde as a full-back. He put in a great performance in a position where he's not used to playing. I'm proud of Benzema, Asensio, Vinicius Jr's efforts up top. We suffered at times, particularly in the second half,” Zidane explained after the game, as quoted by Realmadrid.com.
“We're happy to have qualified but we haven't won anything yet. We're still alive in both competitions.
“I'm proud of the team and everything we're doing, we have to keep it up. We're just going to think about resting up and then focus on our next game against Getafe.”
Despite injuries depleting Real Madrid’s squad, the Blancos are still in contention for La Liga and the Champions League and that is all thanks to Zidane’s ability to get the best out of an obviously thin squad.
