Karim Benzema on one side, Sadio Mané on the other: a duel in the form of the last step towards the Ballon d’Or, in the evening at the Stade de France. Real Madrid challenges this Saturday May 28 Liverpool in the Champions League final [21h ; TF1, Canal+ et RMC1].
Karim Benzema, alone in the world in the race for the Golden Ball? It is difficult to imagine the most prestigious individual award in football, awarded on October 17 in Paris, escaping the Madrid center forward: at 34, Benzema has just signed the best season of his career.
With 44 goals and 15 assists in 45 club games this season, he took his team to a 35th La Liga title at the end of April, before a possible unexpected “decimocuarta” (14th) in C1. It is in particular thanks to his brilliant moves that Real were able to overthrow Paris-SG in the round of 16, defending champion Chelsea in the quarter and Manchester City in the semi-final, in a breathtaking end to the match.
In the event of a double at Saint-Denis, the former Lyonnais could even equal the record of Cristiano Ronaldo, who had scored 17 goals in C1 in 2013-2014. “Records are made to be broken,” smiled the French striker in an interview on the UEFA website the day before yesterday.
A triumph on Saturday would kill all suspense: barring a twist, Benzema would become the first Frenchman to be crowned Ballon d’Or since his former coach Zinedine Zidane in 1998.
On the field as in the votes, stands in front of him the ultimate barrier that separates him from the trophy: Sadio Mané, in the running to become the second African to win the Golden Ball after the Liberian George Weah in 1995. “C It’s sad that no other African player has won it since Weah,” he told reporters on the sidelines of media day on Tuesday. If he scores less (23 goals in all competitions), the 30-year-old striker is the spearhead of a team that has won almost everything.
Paris city of light
With the Champions League, Liverpool would complete a nice treble, in addition to the FA Cup and the League Cup, which would console them for the Premier League which escaped them for a single point, in favor of Manchester City.
In the jersey of Senegal, in two different matches, he scored the shot on goal which offered the country its first African Cup of Nations at the beginning of February, then the one which sent it to the World Cup-2022 at the end of March.
Both times it was against team-mate Mohamed Salah’s Egypt. “It’s a machine!” recently enthused his coach Jürgen Klopp. He’s “a huge player! The mix of technique, desire and physical impact, super-scoring… He’s a fantastic, world-class player.”
The probable compositions
At the Stade de France in Saint-Denis
Liverpool : Alisson – Alexander-Arnold, KonateVan Dijk, Robertson – Fabinho, Henderson (cap.), Thiago (ou Keita) – Salah, Mane, Diaz.
Trainer: Jürgen Klopp.
Real Madrid : Courtois – Carvajal, Militao, Alaba, Mendy – Modric, Kroos, Casemiro – Valverde, Benzema (ch.), Vinicius.
Coach: Carlo Ancelotti.
Referee: Mr. Clément TURPIN (FRA).
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