By 
Karim Benzema said his his disallowed first-half goal prodded Real Madrid into beating Liverpool 1-0 in Saturday’s Champions League final for a record-expanding fourteenth European Cup title.
The France forward, one of the top choices to win the Ballon d’Or – most prestigious individual award – tracked down the rear of the net on the stroke of halftime, just for his goal to be precluded for offside after an extended VAR review.
It was Real’s first clear chance after they had been placed on the back foot by Liverpool and it got them into their furrow.
They then sscored with their first legal attempt on goal when Vinicius Jr tapped in Federico Valverde’s cross in the 59th minute.
“A final is always complicated. It’s mental work. We are league champions and we didn’t have rhythm, but we scored the offside goal and it got us into the game. In the second half we did as always, won a final,” Benzema.
He is just the second French player to lift the Champions League trophy as skipper after Didier Deschamps with Olympique de Marseille in 1993 and that places him in post position to win the Ballon d’Or to be granted in October.
“Let’s see what happens. I have trophies and I have nothing else on the pitch. The important thing is to enjoy,” he said.
Benzema’s hat-trick in the quarter-final, first leg at Chelsea and his extra-time goal in the return in addition to his three goals against Manchester City in the semis, including the conclusive extra-time penalty, could see him become the first Frenchman to win the Ballon d’Or since Zinedine Zidane in 1998.
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