Real Madrid – PSG – “It’s only an 8th …”: Karim Benzema, author of a hat-trick, the trivialization of the exceptional

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From our special correspondent in Madrid

By dint of belly dancing in front of Kylian Mbappé, Real Madrid and their supporters could have forgotten that they already had one of the two best centre-forwards in the world in their squad. On Wednesday, against the Parisian, Karim Benzema recalled what wood he was made of by beating all a lot of records but above all by overthrowing on his own, and with the help of Gianluigi Donnarumma all the same, a situation which seemed sealed. Like Cristiano Ronaldo in his finest hours, KB9 signed a magical night filled with Santiago-Bernabeu drunkenness. Reduced in the first leg, and aligned when he was just coming out of an injury which had kept him away from the field for three weeks, Benzema regained all his feelings to slam a hat-trick in 16 minutes flat.

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First by initiating the pressing before concluding against an overconfident Donnarumma (62nd), then with a cross shot after an offering from Modric (76th) and, finally, on an error by Marquinhos after eating Kimpembe in the duel (78th ). He could plant his two knees in the lawn: he is indeed the king of Madrid. Vinicius made no mistake in shining his shoes.

I believe he showed why maybe he should win the Ballon d’Or

Real owes everything to its striker. If we have long talked about the degree of dependence of PSG on Kylian Mbappé, the situation is equivalent to Real where Benzema, 30 goals in all competitions this season, carries with Thibaut Courtois a team not always convincing in its collective expression.

“Less spectacular than the remontada of 2017 but the explosion is perhaps as important”

Carlo Ancelotti summarized this state of affairs well: “When he was injured, we had problems. There, he came back and everything is better.“Courtois, he paid a vibrant tribute to the hero of the evening:”He’s one of the greatest players in the world, the best 9 maybe with Lewandowski right now, judged the Belgian goalkeeper. I think he showed why maybe he should win the Ballon d’Or this year, he’s a very great player, he was a real captain, he led the team to victory with his goals and with his class.“With his four Champions League, he did not need to break everything this Wednesday to enter the history of Real. But his recital maintains his legend.

Di Stefano in the retro

Especially since it allowed him to overtake the iconic Alfredo Di Stefano and climb on the podium of the top scorers in the history of Real with 309 achievements in all competitions. Benzema also became the first player in history to score a hat-trick against PSG in a knockout duel in the Champions League and the oldest player to score a hat-trick in C1 at 34 years and 30 days. As if time had no hold on him who never seemed so strong as after he was in his thirties.

The players, Pochettino, Leonardo, Nasser… Whose fault is it?

Does this evening take first place in his personal pantheon? “I’m not going to say that, I still won the Champions League and it’s only an 8th. It’s exceptional from a personal point of view but it has nothing to do with (the act of winning) the champions leagueIn Madrid, KB9 has simply trivialized the exceptional and this crazy Wednesday night is just another glorious chapter.

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