Steve McManaman hails Real Madrid comeback ‘the greatest victory ever’

Steve McManaman has claimed a 14th Champions League success for Real Madrid could be the “greatest victory ever” after they staged a remarkable fightback to book a final showdown with Liverpool.

Trailing 5-3 on aggregate to Manchester City as the second leg of their semi-final entered the final minute of normal time, they hauled themselves back into the tie through Rodrygo’s last-gasp double before Karim Benzema snatched an unlikely win from the penalty sport in extra time.

McManaman, the former Liverpool winger who won the competition twice during his time at Real Madrid, was co-commentator for BT Sport on a dramatic night at the Bernabeu Stadium, and was already relishing a mouth-watering final in the immediate aftermath.

He said: “I think this final is a brilliant final, I really do. Real Madrid and the story that’s gone on this year – they haven’t been at their best, yet they’ve made the final and the way they’ve done it, if they do beat Liverpool, arguably it will be the greatest victory ever.

“To go through PSG, champions, to go through City, Chelsea and Liverpool when we understand how strong the English Premier League is and the English teams, I think it would be the greatest victory ever.

“I don’t say they will win, but I’ve said that against Chelsea, against Manchester City and against bloody everybody.”

McManaman was still struggling to comprehend what he had seen after City, leading 1-0 in the night through Riyad Mahrez’s second-half strike, had looked to be cruising into the final with Jack Grealish twice going close to extending their advantage.

He said: “How do you explain that to a neutral? How has that result happened? Grealish had those two wonderful chances. It looked as if City were just going to go