TOPSHOT - Real Madrid's French forward Karim Benzema celebrates after scoring a goal during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second league football match between Real Madrid CF and Paris Saint-Germain at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on March 9, 2022. (Photo by GABRIEL BOUYS / AFP) (Photo by GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP via Getty Images)
Real Madrid pulled off a miracle: they scored three goals in five minutes and left Man City without a Champions League final (6-5 on the total of two matches). The third goal was scored by Karim Benzema – now his claim to the Golden Ball is even stronger.
Karim got involved in extra time: he earned a penalty (fouled Ruben Dias) and performed it himself.
And now to the numbers: Karim matched Ronaldo’s record and caught up with Lewandowski in terms of goals in the Champions League
This goal is Benzema’s tenth in the 2021/22 UEFA Champions League play-offs, matching Cristiano Ronaldo’s record of scoring the same amount in 2017. These two players are bettors’ favorites. Karim already has 15 goals in this Champions League – overtaking Robert Lewandowski, who is now out of the Champions League with Bayern Munich. Therefore, the Frenchman is the sole leader of the scorers’ race, of the closest players to him in the tournament is Mo Salah with 8 goals.
Benzema is also tied with Lewandowski in the total number of the Champions League goals – only Cristiano Ronaldo (140) and Leo Messi (126) are more outstanding. The Pole and the Frenchman now have 86 goals each.
Ronaldo also scored the most goals in a single competition (17 in the 2013/14 season) – Karim is just two goals short of him. There will be a chance to catch up with the Portuguese in the final against Liverpool.
Karim is in great form: he scored 23 goals in 2022 (in all tournaments) – it only took him 20 games! Yes, and during the season he is fine: 43 goals in 43 games: 26 in 29 La Liga games, 15 in 12 Champions League games, 2 in 2 Super Cup games. Benzema scored 40 goals for the first time in a season for Real Madrid, and he also has 5 goals for the French national team. In terms of goals for the season, he repeated the best figures of the legends of Real Madrid – Alfredo Di Stefano and Hugo Sanchez.
The playoffs are a special love, Benzema scored in five games out of six (he failed to score only against PSG in the first away game). After that, a hat trick at home, then a hat trick against Chelsea – and the goal at home that took Real Madrid to the semifinals. And here it’s a grand total of three against City.
Once again: in 6 games in the playoffs, Kareem has scored 10 goals – brilliance!
Dazzling brilliance when you look at the opponents: 3 goals against Messi, Mbappe and Neymar, 4 goals against the current winner of the trophy (Chelsea) and three goals against City, the first team in the APL.
Is Liverpool next?