<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><b>Karim Benzema struck for Real Madrid to clinch a 1-0 win over Liverpool and qualification for the Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday 6-2 on aggregate.</b></span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">After the wild last 16 first leg clash at Anfield in February left Madrid sitting pretty with a three-goal advantage, Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp said his side only had a one percent chance of turning the tie around.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">They stemmed the bleeding at the Santiago Bernabeu but never looked like mounting a stirring comeback of the type they managed against Barcelona in 2019, or AC Milan in the 2005 final.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Madrid have now knocked Liverpool out of the Champions League in three consecutive seasons, including beating them in last year's final.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"It was a complicated game but from the start we showed we wanted to go through, and we are in the quarter-finals," Benzema told Movistar.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Suffering is part of today's football. Everyone wants more, but sometimes you have to suffer in a game -- the most important thing is to win and go through."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The 14-time record winners showed the nous to keep Liverpool at arm's length, with defenders Eder Militao and Antonio Rudiger determined to shut out the visitors, along with goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Reigning champions Madrid could have significantly stretched their lead, save for a series of superb stops by Liverpool stopper Alisson Becker and some unusually profligate finishing.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In the first leg, Madrid were lethal, with Vinicius Junior and Benzema netting twice each -- neither were as decisive.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Yet eventually they combined for Madrid's winner after 78 minutes, with Vinicius slipping as he tried to shoot, but hooking the ball into Benzema's path for a simple tap-in.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Madrid's only worry was seeing their captain limp off after his goal amid an injury-hit season -- Benzema said it was only a blow on the shin and Carlo Ancelotti confirmed he would be fit to face Barcelona in the Clasico on Sunday.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Madrid were in control of the whole game, Ali had to make two sensational saves to keep us in the game," Klopp told reporters.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Madrid were outstanding and that's why the better team went through to the next round."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">- No magic -</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Liverpool, deeply inconsistent in this campaign, took heart from their 7-0 thrashing of Manchester United in the Premier League, but could not produce the same magic under the Bernabeu lights.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Klopp started with Diogo Jota alongside his usual attacking trio of Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo, deploying as much firepower as he could to try and mount a comeback.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The first chance of the game fell to Nunez but Courtois thwarted the Uruguayan, who was fed by Salah.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">At the other end Madrid sliced open Liverpool on various occasions, and Alisson made a stunning save to deny Vinicius from point-blank range.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Eduardo Camavinga crashed a long-range effort against the crossbar, with Alisson getting his fingertips to it.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Brazilian goalkeeper made further saves from Vinicius, Fede Valverde and Benzema as Madrid controlled the game.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Camavinga impressed in midfield and eventually helped create Benzema's goal, with a driven pass forward in the build-up.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"I told him a few small details, like how I know that the two Liverpool centre-backs play open, there's space in the middle, and that's how we scored the goal," added Benzema.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The striker has now scored seven times in the Champions League against Liverpool, more than any other player.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Benzema is key to Madrid's bid to lift the trophy for a sixth time in 10 seasons, if he can stay fit.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Madrid played classic Liverpool anthem "You'll Never Walk Alone" at the end of the game, at once a classy touch but also showing Liverpool never made them truly uncomfortable.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ancelotti said Madrid were full of belief after their remarkable run to the final last season.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"We have a lot more confidence, because of what happened last year, it gave us a lot of confidence," said the Italian.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"We saw that in this tie, against a strong team, we did well in the two games.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"But later, with confidence alone, we don't reach the semi-finals. We have to play surprising football ... as always, the Champions League is very complicated and we have to compete until the end." AFP</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>