Karim Benzema’s hat-trick within the Champions League first-leg over Chelsea has Actual Madrid with one foot within the semi-finals after a formidable 3-1 victory at Stamford Bridge.
The France worldwide helped encourage Carlo Ancelotti’s facet to a snug triumph towards their Premier League opponents with Madrid now sturdy favourites to progress into the final 4.
Benzema simply appears to be getting higher and higher season-on-season and his scintillating efficiency on away turf was the distinction between the 2 European powerhouses.
The 34-year-old fired Los Blancos into an early two-goal lead, beating Edouard Mendy with two wonderful headed finishes – the primary a bullet header from Vinicius Junior’s cross and the second a cultured look into the underside nook from shut vary.
Chelsea upped their sport earlier than the break and have been rewarded when Kai Havertz halved the deficit on the point of halftime.
After chasing down what appeared a misplaced trigger simply seconds after the restart, Benzema was rewarded for his admirable work charge, capitalising on a slack Mendy move earlier than slotting into an empty web to finish a beautiful hat-trick.
Benzema was changed within the latter levels – Ancelotti doubtless maintaining him sharp for subsequent week’s return leg – as Madrid cruised to a memorable Champions League win towards the competitors’s reigning champions.
“Benzema is the very best No.9 on the earth,” Thibaut Courtois mentioned post-match. “It’s a disgrace that I couldn’t cease their aim because the ball hit my palm, however it’s an excellent victory in tough circumstances. The tie isn’t over, we now have to win at dwelling.”
“Benzema helps the crew in build-ups, he presses, he’s at all times transferring – so tough to mark him. The whole participant,” Madrid boss Ancelotti defined following the Stamford Bridge win.
Listed here are 10 of essentially the most spectacular stats and information from Benzema’s match-winning hat-trick efficiency in west London.
– Benzema has now scored 37 targets in 36 matches for Actual Madrid within the 2021-22 season – over double the quantity of Vinicius Junior who’s their second high scorer.
– The striker has develop into the primary participant ever to attain a Champions League hat-trick towards Chelsea.
Karim Benzema’s sport by numbers vs Chelsea:
100% lengthy passes accomplished (2/2)
90% move accuracy
53 whole touches
4 ball recoveries
4 pictures (3 on course)
3 targetsMerely world class. ??? pic.twitter.com/ggMap5TWx7
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) April 6, 2022
– Benzema and Vinicius have mixed for 5 Champions League targets this season; a tally greater than another duo within the competitors this time period. Not unhealthy contemplating the previous Lyon man was caught telling team-mate Ferland Mendy to not move to the Brazil worldwide throughout a Madrid sport in October 2020.
– His three targets imply he’s develop into simply the fourth participant in historical past to attain 80+ targets within the Champions League after Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski.
KARIM BENZEMA STOP THAT! ?
He had no proper to attain that! Ridiculous header ?#UCL pic.twitter.com/jWtW2l1kcZ
— Soccer on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) April 6, 2022
– Of Benzema’s 82 targets within the competitors, just one has been a penalty.
– The 34-year-old has develop into the primary French participant to succeed in 10+ targets in a single marketing campaign within the Champions League.
– Benzema is now one among solely two gamers to attain consecutive Champions League hat-tricks within the knockout stage – the opposite was Ronaldo in 2017 who bagged three towards Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid.
– For the primary time in his profession, the striker has now been concerned in 50 targets in a single season, registering 37 targets and 13 assists.
– Benzema has now scored 10 occasions in his final 4 Actual Madrid appearances – PSG (3), Mallorca (2), Celta Vigo (2) and Chelsea (3).
– He’s now stage with Liverpool’s Sadio Mane (13) for essentially the most targets scored within the Champions League knockout levels because the 2017-18 season.
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