“You think you have them, you don’t” - Thierry Henry makes interesting claim on Real Madrid dominating Champions League with record 14 triumphs
Arsenal legend Thierry Henry has heaped praise on Real Madrid's dominance in the UEFA Champions League over the years.
Los Blancos drew 2-2 against Bayern Munich at Allianz Arena in their UCL semi-final first-leg clash on Tuesday, April 30. While the hosts created early opportunities, Vinicius Jr. opened the scoring in the 23rd minute. The Bavarians made a comeback through Leroy Sane (53') and Harry Kane (57' p).
However, the Spanish giants bounced back with another goal from Vinicius from the penalty spot in the 83rd minute. Bayern arguably dominated the game and had better chances but failed to capitalise on them. Real Madrid were also second-best against RB Leipzig in the Round of 16 and Manchester City in the quarter-finals but beat them regardless.
Henry touched upon this on CBS Sports Golazo, saying (via Madrid Xtra):
“When people talk about Real Madrid, they use a lot of ‘IF’. How Leipzig didn’t score more, how they had little off the ball vs City. It doesn’t matter. You think you have them, you don’t. That’s why they have 14 Champions League.”
Los Blancos are chasing their record-extending 15th Champions League trophy while Bayern are hoping to win their seventh.
Carlo Ancelotti on Real Madrid's draw against Bayern in Champions League semi-final first leg
Real Madrid were the second-best side for most of the game against Bayern at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday. They had 48% possession and 4/10 attempts on target as compared to the Bavarians' 5/14 on target. If it weren't for the hosts' lack of clinical edge, Los Blancos could've lost the game by a fair margin.
After the game, manager Carlo Ancelotti admitted that his side weren't at their best, saying (via Managing Madrid):
“The result is good. It could have been better. Our best moment was the beginning of the second half, and [then] they scored two on us. Bayern is very dangerous. They showed the best version of him and we didn’t. We have time to improve for Wednesday.”
The second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu will be played on Wednesday, May 8. The winner of the tie will face either Paris Saint-Germain or Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final.