Champions League, half Real – City – A tribute to a legend: the tifo of Real supporters for Benzema

A giant portrait of Karim Benzema deployed at the Santiago Bernabeu. The striker and captain of Casa Blanca was honored by the yet so difficult and demanding Madrid public before the semi-final return between Real and Manchester City on Wednesday evening. Vertical, this portrait of the French international sees him clutching a laurel wreath in his hands, as if he were an emperor.

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This season’s top scorer in the Champions League with 15 goals, following his penalty converted into extra time, Benzema is also top scorer (26 goals) and assist (11 assists, tied with Ousmane Dembélé) in the Spanish Championship with whom he was crowned champion for the fourth time last weekend. It was well worth a tribute from his audience. An audience that was finally rewarded with an improbable victory for its own.