Semi-final elation for Real Madrid and Liverpool [GALLERY]

Two-time reigning champions Madrid booked their ticket to Kiev thanks to an enthralling 2-2 draw in Tuesday’s semi-final second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu, where the Spanish giants progressed 4-3 on aggregate.

Despite the Germans’ effort to shake their rivals’ net, Benzema exploited the goalkeeper’s fault just a few seconds after the second half-time to score the second goal for Real Madrid.

Southampton are reportedly set to make £10million in bonus payments if Liverpool win the Champions League.

However, despite both scorelines being close, Liverpool’s victory over the Italian side never seemed to be in danger, while Real Madrid won despite their opponents arguably being the better team.

In second in the league but well behind Champions City and crashing out embarrassingly at the hands of Sevilla in the last 16 of the Champions League.

Rummenigge was deeply impressed with the players’ efforts and believes they deserve the respect of “the football world”.

His Bayern team lost combat in Madrid.

“You have to see where we’ve come from, we were written off in October, so I have to give Jupp Heynckes a lot of praise”, said Salihamidzic. “We really wanted to reach the final and we gave our best and then this unnecessary mistake happened to me”, Ulreich wrote on Instagram.

In April, Ronaldo agreed, “As long as I’m with Real Madrid, you [Benzema] will have your place secured”. The match had been overshadowed by off-pitch tensions after Liverpool supporter Sean Cox was left in a coma after being attacked before last week’s first leg in Anfield.

“If you do what we normally do, press high, if we do that then we can make it hard for Real”. We played with great fight, incredible passion and courage. I don’t think we would have predicted at the start of the season that they’d be in the Champions League final but they’ve just grown in strength.

Zidane’s decision to pick Benzema despite a poor run of form that had included only one goal in 12 games also proved to be a masterstroke. You could win the title for the third time in a row. Elimination undoubtedly hurt the German champions as they have now suffered four semi-final defeats in five seasons.