The French Football super star Karim Benzema hat-trick secures last-8 spot for Real Madrid; Mbappé scores opener in Bernabéu thriller.
Karim Benzema scores second-half hat-trick as Real Madrid produced a late comeback to reach the Champions League quarter-finals
Karim Benzema is the oldest player to score a hat trick in Champions League history at 34 years and 80 days old. He surpasses Olivier Giroud, who was 34 years and 63 days when he hit a treble for Chelsea at Sevilla in 2020.
This is Benzema’s third hat-trick in the UEFA Champions League, with his previous trebles coming against Malmö in December 2015 and Auxerre in December 2010.
Karim Benzema becomes the first player to score in 18 successive calendar years in the Champions League (2005–2022)
The Madrid forward now has 309 goals, moving past the legendary Alfredo Di Stefano with tonight’s hat-trick to become the club’s third-highest scorer of all-time.
It was for nights like this that the Champions League was invented. A match of torment, brilliance, conviction and, ultimately, heroism from Benzema. This turnaround matches some of the big nights in Madrid’s European history and the watching world saw more evidence of football’s awesome beauty.
Madrid go through! Until the final half an hour of this second leg, PSG looked firmly on course to prevail. Even after their opponents initially hit back, Pochettino’s players knew they would reach the final eight by holding on. Then the clinical Benzema intervened twice more, sending the majority of this stadium into raptures – and his team into those quarter-finals.
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Champions League Real Madrid Karim Benzema Football Sports Kolkata
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