Carlo Ancelotti has named the player he thinks is the best in the world after his Real Madrid side sealed a place in the last eight of the Champions League.
After a convincing 5-2 win at Anfield against Liverpool in the first leg, Madrid arrived at the Bernabeu knowing a professional job would see them through.
In truth, Madrid were largely helped by an utterly awful Liverpool display as Jurgen Klopp’s men showed no fight or urgency to try and salvage their Champions League dream.
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Karim Benzema’s goal in the 78th minute was enough to seal a 1-0 win on the night and a 6-2 aggregate victory.
After the match, Madrid boss Ancelotti singled out Vinicius Junior for praise, naming him as the best in the world.
He said: “For me, he is (the best player in the world). He has created danger every time he’s tried to go forward.
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“Today he didn't score, but he played very well and provided a goal.”
This season, Vinicius has really stepped up his game. So far, he has made 40 appearances across all competitions, scoring 19 and assisting 10.
Against Liverpool, Vinicius produced another brilliant display as he had Trent Alexander Arnold on strings, with the England full-back having yet another net to forget.
Madrid will now take on one of Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Benfica, Manchester City, Inter Milan, AC Milan or Napoli in the quarter-finals.
Ahead of the draw, Ancelotti said: “I don’t have any preferences (for the next round). The objective is to win the Champions League, and to do that you have to get past the quarter-finals, the semi-final and the final.
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“I’m happy, Italian football has three teams in the quarter-finals. It’s a very positive sign for Italian football.”
Can Madrid go all the way and defend their Champions League title? Only time will tell.
Topics: Carlo Ancelotti, Champions League, Football, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Vinicius Junior
Marcus Chan