Real Madrid v Liverpool: Casemiro’s brutal revenge on Milner for taking out Benzema

Real Madrid and Liverpool will square off on Saturday evening in what promises to be a fiercely-contested Champions League final at the Stade de France in Paris.

Los Blancos are looking to raise European club football’s top prize for the fifth time in nine years, while Jurgen Klopp’s men will be looking to bounce back in fine style from their Premier League title heartbreak last weekend.

Part of the Real squad for all four of their recent Champions League triumphs, combative midfielder Casemiro has never given an inch on these big occasions.

The 30-year-old Brazilian is also not fond of those who take liberties with his colleagues, as he proved when the La Liga giants faced off with Liverpool in a quarter-final clash at Anfield last season.

Already trailing 3-1 from the first leg at the Bernabeu, the Merseysiders knew they needed a fast start on home turf to get themselves back into the tie.

Reds’ veteran James Milner, though, took that enthusiasm a step too far in the early stages when he caught Real frontman Karim Benzema with a dreadfully-timed challenge.

Despite the match being only minutes old, Milner’s tackle was so poor that it arguably deserved a red card.

Instead, remarkably, the Liverpool favourite escaped without punishment.

The visitors couldn’t believe that the referee hadn’t even issued a yellow card and their frustration remained visible for several minutes.

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – APRIL 14: Casemiro of Real Madrid clashes with Andrew Robertson of Liverpool as Jurgen Klopp (R), Manager of Liverpool reacts during the UEFA Champions League Quarter Final Second Leg match between Liverpool FC and Real Madrid at Anfield on April 14, 2021 in Liverpool, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Casemiro, however, has never been one to forgive and forget. He would have his revenge on Benzema’s behalf just after the mid-way point of the first-half.

Recklessly flying into a challenge just metres from the Liverpool bench, Casemiro crunched into Milner – sending him sprawling off the pitch.

This time, it was Liverpool’s turn to feel hard done by, as they petitioned the match official for further action. Unlike Milner, Casemiro was at least booked for his brutal lunge.

Ahead of this weekend’s showpiece occasion between the two sides, Casemiro’s challenge has once again gone viral.

You can check it out for yourself below. It hasn’t got any better with age.

The caution issued to Casemiro did little to calm down Milner’s irate teammates.

Just as the Real midfielder went looking for revenge for Benzema, Liverpool’s Andy Robertson was soon squaring up to Casemiro in defence of Milner.

Cooler heads eventually prevailed as the bad blood between all involved simmered down. Real boss Zinedine Zidane appeared to find the whole situation pretty amusing as cameras captured him smirking to himself afterwards.

After all that early drama, the match ultimately petered out into a 0-0 draw, which saw Liverpool eliminated from the competition.

The Reds will be out for retribution on Saturday evening.

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