Totally implausible. While PSG mastered their knockout round of the Champions League return, leading 0-1, a blunder by Gianluigi Donnarumma, then an error by Marquinhos two minutes later, offered a lightning double, turning into a hat-trick in the end, to Karim Benzema to allow Real Madrid to take a decisive advantage (3-1), this Wednesday at Santiago Bernabeu, and to qualify for the quarter-finals of the C1.
It was written that Kylian Mbappé might mark this meeting. He did it for a while, scoring his 157th goal in the Parisian jersey. But on Madrid soil, an even bigger man this Wednesday evening totally eclipsed the Parisian striker. On his knees at the final whistle, Karim Benzema turned into a savior for his family following a monumental match.
An offering from Vinicius… then from Marquinhos
The only member of Casa Blanca to have really shown himself in the first period, the French international had come very close to opening the Real Madrid counter with a sublime curled long shot, if Donnarumma had not removed this ball from the end gloves. But, behind, the now oldest player to score a hat-trick in the Champions League, at 34, no longer missed the target.
His first goal is more opportunism than pure talent that we know him. At the press on the Parisian goalkeeper, Karim Benzema caused a completely missed clearance from Gianluigi Donnarumma, the ball adjoining his goal line, before finishing his race at the feet of Vinicius who only had to deliver a caviar set back at Benzema, replaced to perfection in the meantime (61st).
But the real masterpiece of number 9 of the Merengue came in the 76th minute. After a ride from the former Ballon d’Or Luka Modric, pressing Vinicius allowed the Croatian midfielder to recover the ball back before subtly slipping it to his French striker. Marquinhos came to tackle too late, Benzema’s double was validated. Before a hat-trick… Incredible.
Stunned, the Parisians then completely let go. The errors have accumulated in a timing that seems unreal. The commitment barely given, an additional loss of ball cost the qualification in the quarter-finals to PSG. The counter launched by the people of Madrid once once more leaned towards Vinicius, taken over by Marquinhos, whose axial clearance not to be shown in any football school converted into an offering for Karim Benzema (78th).
“With the support of the public, I manage to score three goals, it’s exceptional”
“It’s the problem of all teams who want to start from behind once morest heavy pressing, it puts any team in difficulty”, analyzed the Madrid player. A pressing established by Real which anesthetized the players of Mauricio Pochettino.
“It’s only the round of 16, but given the first leg and the second leg where we were behind at half-time and where we have to come back… Personally, it’s something exceptional, because that with the support of the public, I manage to score three goals, so it’s exceptional on an individual level”, rejoiced Karim Benzema in a post-match interview.
With now 8 goals in 7 C1 games this season, the number 9 merengue has become the first French player to score three hat-tricks in three different Champions League games. A brilliant performance for a French striker who eclipsed another, in the opposing jersey.