MADRID (Reuters) – Karim Benzema was Real Madrid’s hero as he scored a hat-trick to ship his group into the Champions League quarter-finals with a 3-1 win over Paris St Germain on Wednesday.
The France striker loved a stellar night on the Santiago Bernabeu stadium, main the report 13-times European champions into the final eight and reaching a couple of milestones of his personal.
At the age of 34 years and 80 days, Benzema turned the oldest participant to attain a hat-trick within the Champions League, taking the report from his French compatriot Olivier Giroud.
Benzema was making his five hundredth begin for Real Madrid in all competitions, changing into solely the second overseas participant to achieve that mark after Roberto Carlos (524).
He has now netted 309 objectives for the Spanish aspect, surpassing Alfredo di Stefano to change into the membership’s third prime scorer after Cristiano Ronaldo (450) and Raul Gonzalez (323).
Benzema was already Real’s second highest scorer within the Champions League with 67, behind Ronaldo on 105.
There was little signal of a profitable night for Benzema as Real, trailing 1-0 from the primary leg in Paris, fell additional behind when Kylian Mbappe scored for PSG earlier than halftime.
The French aspect ought to have prolonged their lead earlier than the sport turned following a foul error from PSG keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
The Italy worldwide mishandled the ball inside the world and gifted it to Benzema who scored.
Luka Modric then discovered Benzema fully free contained in the field behind a distracted protection and he had time to search for and decide his spot.
Just 106 seconds later and with PSG in full panic mode, defender Marquinhos gifted the ball to Benzema on the sting of the field and he gratefully accepted the chance to seal a 3-2 mixture victory for Real.
“Real Madrid is alive and we confirmed how we are able to win towards anybody,” Benzema instructed reporters.
“The comeback got here resulting from a matter of psychological power. I’m actually honored to be half of this legendary membership and now we transfer ahead.”
(Reporting by Fernando Kallas, enhancing by Ed Osmond)