UEFA Champions League: Karim Benzema smashes these records
What's the story
Veteran Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema helped his side make a sound comeback against Paris Saint-Germain in a crucial Champions League round of 16 second leg tie. Real came from behind to beat PSG 3-1 in Madrid to seal the two-legged tie 3-2. Benzema netted a hat-trick in the second half after Kylian Mbappe had earlier given PSG the lead. Here are the details.
Benzema
Benzema has been involved in 40-plus goals this season
Benzema now has 30 goals for Real Madrid in all competitions this season. The Frenchman has eight Champions League goals this season. Benzema has 30 goals and 12 assists this season and is now the second player in top-flight European football to have been directly involved in 40+ goals after Robert Lewandowski. Lewandowski has netted 42 goals, besides making four assists.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Benzema is a class act and he has been one of the leading number nines in European club football for a long time now. Real were under the cosh, having been behind 2-0 on aggregate score and 1-0 on the night. The hosts stepped up after the second half with some clinical performance by Benzema, who grabbed the chances to steer Real past PSG.
Goals
Third-highest scorer for Real Madrid
The senior striker has raced to 309 career goals for Real in all competitions. He has the third-highest number of goals for Real after Cristiano Ronaldo (450) and Raul (323). He steered clear of Alfredo Di Stefano, who netted 308 goals. For the second successive season, Benzema has netted 30-plus goals. This is the fourth instance where Benzema has managed 30-plus goals for Real.
Hat-trick
Oldest player to score a Champions League hat-trick
Benzema netted in the 61st, 76th, and 78th minute respectively to help Real make a sound comeback. This was his third hat-trick in the Champions League. Interestingly, Benzema is the first player to score in 18 successive calendar years in the Champions League. He has become the oldest player to score a hat-trick in the Champions League era as well (34 years, 80 days).
Do you know?
Champions League: Benzema surpasses Raul's tally for Real
Benzema now has 79 Champions League goals under his belt, including 67 for Los Blancos. Notably, Benzema has surpassed Raul (66) to become the second-highest scorer for Real in the Champions League. Earlier, Benzema had netted 12 UCL goals for Lyon.