Liverpool-Real Madrid. The dream final between two of the greatest winners in history, two legendary clubs and stars from all four corners of the lawn. Three of them will compete for the Ballon d’Or on Saturday. Even if, for our journalists Martin Mosnier and Maxime Dupuis, the most prestigious of individual distinctions should logically go to Karim Benzema. Can the final change anything? Will a Liverpool victory put Sadio Mané and Mohamed Salah in a better position than the French international? The Madrid player has so far flown above the competition and scored more goals in C1 this season (15) than the two Reds combined (13). Therefore, does Benzema still have opponents of his size in the race for the Ballon d’Or?
Champions League
Collective work, exercise in front of goal: Benzema and Real in training at the Stade de France
30 MINUTES AGO
“Gündogan has already offered the Ballon d’Or to Karim Benzema, believes Martin Mosnier. Because the best marketing argument for Mané and Salah in the Ball race was to achieve the Premier League, Cup, League Cup and Champions League quadruple. Losing the Premier League will weigh heavily. Barring a huge feat, a hat-trick or a quadruple from Mané, Benzema already has the trophy in his pocket.”
Top scorer in La Liga and the Champions League, Spanish champion and winner of the Nations League, Benzema has a lot of individual and collective arguments against the Reds duo. Even if the CAN won by Mané could convince some members of the jury. Today, the Senegalese seems better placed than the Egyptian but the risk of scattering the votes between them, like what the Blues experienced during the 2018 Ballon d’Or election, could cost a few points. At Real, Benzema is alone and the indisputable headliner.
Karim Benzema in the duel with Sadio Mané in the quarter-finals of the Champions League
Credit: Getty Images
But, beyond the figures, Benzema made an impression
“The final is a match that weighs for 10recalled Maxime Dupuis in the FC Stream Team. If Mané scores a hat-trick on Saturday, we’ll talk about it. But, beyond the numbers, Benzema made an impression, that’s for his legend.” “Mané and Benzema both scored in the Champions League semi-finalscontinued Martin Mosnier. But we remember the goal of the Madrid player, less than that of the Senegalese. It is the strength of the scenario, the posters of Real which also gives strength to the candidacy of the French “. Author of hat-tricks against PSG and Chelsea, a double in Manchester including a panenka, Benzema not only has incredible individual statistics (44 goals in 45 matches with Real Madrid this season) but above all he has engraved memories forever. in this Champions League campaign. An asset that should tip the scales in his favor for our two journalists.
“A Champions League final is very rarely decisive for obtaining a Ballon d’Oradded Maxime Dupuis. They generally belong to collectives, not to players. Because XXL performances in the final are very rare.“Yet Mané and Salah will need it if they want to believe in their chances until the end.
Champions League
On paper, it’s royal
12 HOURS AGO
Champions League
Popular, victorious and adored: Ancelotti, like a king in Italy
12 HOURS AGO