Mohamed Salah got his wish.
In an interview with BT Sport after Liverpool beat Villarreal in the semi-final of the Champions League, the Egyptian forward named Real Madrid as his preferred opponents for the final.
Manchester City seemed destined to prevent that from happening up until the 90th minute of their second leg clash at the Bernabeu. The Spanish giants somehow scored two goals in two minutes to force the match into extra-time.
It didn’t take long for Karim Benzema to consequently decide the tie by scoring a penalty in the 95th minute, eliminating Man City from the one competition they can't seem to conquer. Liverpool will now face Madrid in Paris this evening, with Salah and Benzema set to face off.
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‘We have a score to settle’ said Salah in a social media post after the bout, referring back to Liverpool’s final loss in Kiev four years ago. There could be an additional score to settle when the two sides come together on May 28, as Salah and Benzema could wind up deciding the winner of the Ballon d’Or.
The two superstars have experienced monumental campaigns at their respective clubs, almost acting as saviours for their teammates to seek inspiration from on a number of occasions.
In the Premier League, Salah has been the outstanding performer in comparison to his peers. He tied with Tottenham's Heung-Min Son with 23 goals, while also topping the charts for assists having provided 13 for the players around him.
Salah’s output has been remarkable and he’s cemented his status as the division’s most dangerous player, featuring in every Premier League match that he’s been available for. He looks set to pick up all of the individual honours at the end of the campaign.
Over in Spain, the story has been similar for Benzema. Madrid recently secured this year’s La Liga title, with the Frenchman scoring a total of 27 goals for his team He’s at least 11 goals ahead of anybody else and much like Salah, he also ranks top for assists, level with Ousmane Dembele on 11.
Madrid are somewhat less dominant than Liverpool from week to week but in Benzema, they have the ultimate striker who seems capable of turning water into wine. He's been consistently turning aimless deliveries into meaningful goals.
His displays in Europe have been particularly impressive. Across Madrid's two-legged knockout ties against Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Man City, Benzema scored a total of 10 goals in six matches, including two hat-tricks.
With Cristiano Ronaldo out of the picture in the Spanish capital, Benzema has truly stepped into his shoes by operating as a man for the biggest moments. He steps up whenever his teammates appear defeated.
Salah is equally known for such decisive contributions at Anfield. The 29-year-old scored a hat-trick against Manchester United earlier in the season, as well as two braces against Everton and Man City. Liverpool's rivals have suffered from his quality this term.
Salah is a different animal when he’s in the spotlight, and the spotlight is never brighter than when a Champions League final is taking place. Liverpool's clash with Madrid will decide this year's European champions but ultimately, the bout could also determine the player at the top of the tree.
