'God needs to come and explain it': How the football world reacted to Real Madrid's extraordinary Champions League semifinal victory

By Issy Ronald, CNN

Updated 1312 GMT (2112 HKT) May 5, 2022

Karim Benzema scored the decisive goal in Real Madrid's Champions League semifinal against Manchester City.

(CNN)«We have a score to settle,» Liverpool star Mo Salah tweeted after Real Madrid staged an extraordinary late comeback against Manchester City to set up a clash with the Reds in the Champions League final on May 28.

The last time the two teams faced each other was in Kyiv in 2018, when Salah left the field in tears after being injured in a tackle by Sergio Ramos. Real Madrid eventually won 3-1 and lifted their 13th European Cup. Now, in Paris — after the final was moved from St. Petersburg following Russia's invasion of Ukraine — the Reds and Los Blancos will meet again.Real Madrid, having failed to make a single shot on target all evening, were 5-3 down on aggregate as the clock ticked towards 90 minutes on Wednesday.Then, two goals — one on the stroke of 90 minutes and one in added time — from substitute Rodrygo left the score level on aggregate and dragged the match to extra time.Liverpool and Real Madrid will play each other in a rematch of the 2018 Final, where Mo Salah was injured in a play with Sergio Ramos.Read MoreCarried on by the raucous atmosphere that had sparked around the Bernabéu, Real's onslaught continued, yielding a penalty in the 95th minute. Karim Benzema stepped up, converted and propelled his side into the Champions League final. Like the fans in the stadium, the reaction in the Spanish newspapers was delirious. «God needs to come and explain it,» declared the Spanish newspaper MARCA. «Real Madrid are from another planet,» read the AS front page.Real Madrid mounts stunning comeback to beat Manchester City and reach Champions League