Real Madrid star Karim Benzema scored three goals in rapid succession to give his team the lead on aggregate against PSG.
It’s Real Madrid. It’s the Champions League. Did you really expect anything different?
Only Raul and Cristiano Ronaldo have scored more goals in a Real Madrid uniform than Benzema, who added a second-half hattrick to his resume in the Champions League.
Paris entered the contest with a 1-0 lead via aggregate, and added another thanks to a Kylian Mbappe first half strike. At the end of 45 minutes of play, Real had very little hope.
Then, Benzema struck. Here are all three goals, each as beautiful as the next.
With rumors floating about his possible replacement as the face of Real Madrid, the 34-year-old proved he’s not going anywhere yet.
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Despite Mbappe’s strike against his (possibly) future team, Real made it to the halftime whistle down just 1-0, and 2-0 via aggregate. Madrid’s Champions League success is duly noted, but this is a next-level disappointed by PSG.
A team headlined by Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Neymar failed to produce much on the attacking front, while they allowed one man to beat them.
Benzema followed in the footsteps of his former teammate, Cristiano Ronaldo, who led this team to Champions’ League glory time and time again.
PSG, meanwhile, are left wondering what if.
It’ll be a rough trip back to Paris.