Real Madrid's hat-trick hero Benzema outlines Ballon d’Or credentials after destroying Chelsea
Karim Benzema has been Real Madrid's main man for the last three and a half years. Since Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure in 2018 to Juventus, no Los Blancos player has scored more goals than the Frenchman.
His importance to the team has only burgeoned and increasingly grown with each passing year and the story has been no different this season.
Benzema was unavailable when Carlo Ancelotti’s side faced Barcelona in the El Clasico in March. His absence was massively felt as Los Blancos struggled in front of goal and ultimately lost 4-0 to their archrivals.
Since his return from injury, though, he's scored every Real Madrid goal in their last two matches. He netted a double in the 2-1 victory against Celta Vigo in La Liga before putting Chelsea to the sword with a hat-trick. Real Madrid ran out 3-1 winners in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals at Stamford Bridge.
Karim Benzema's game by numbers vs. Chelsea:
89% pass accuracy
45 passes attempted
40 passes completed
13 passes in the final third
5 final third entries
4 shots
3 shots on target
3 touches in the opp. box
2 goals
Hat-trick hero. 🎩
#UCL #CHERMA https://t.co/EQzXYVmX8n
Benzema helps Real Madrid take down Chelsea
Benzema is unstoppable when he’s on song and has demonstrated his impeccable goal-scoring exploits many times this season.
His hat-trick saved Real Madrid from exiting the Champions League in the Round of 16 stage. He singlehandedly tore Paris Saint-Germain apart in the second half of the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu. His hat-trick overturned a 2-0 deficit in just one half.
He was once again at it to give Los Blancos an advantage in their game against Chelsea. Benzema’s movement caused Chelsea’s defense all sorts of trouble and his prolificacy is just out of the world at the moment.
His first goal was difficult to execute, especially when the ball was floated behind him by Vinicius Jr.. But he timed his header perfectly to beat Edouard Mendy at the near post. His ingenuity again came to bear in the build-up to his second goal. He opted to head the ball back across goal when many strikers would’ve made a different decision.
Romelu Lukaku, for instance, had a similar chance but couldn’t hit the target with his header and it only goes to show how special Benzema is.
Only two players in Champions League history have scored a hat-trick in consecutive knockout games:
Cristiano Ronaldo
🎩 vs Bayern
🎩 vs Atlético Madrid
Karim Benzema
🎩 vs PSG
🎩 vs Chelsea
It's a Real Madrid thing. #UCL https://t.co/eL3KKAm7My
Benzema outlines Ballon d’Or credentials
For many years, Benzema played second fiddle to Ronaldo at Real Madrid but the France international is finally gaining the respect of the world.
The 34-year-old has scored an incredible 37 goals in 36 matches this season and has also contributed 13 assists. These are the stats of a Ballon d’Or contender. There’s no reason why Benzema shouldn’t be a serious contender for the award this year.
“He's [Benzema] just like a fine wine. He gets better every day and feels as if he's gaining in importance within the team every day and is becoming more of a leader,” Ancelotti said after the win over Chelsea, as quoted by Realmadrid.com.
The Italian manager added:
“That's making all the difference in him. He has a strong personality and is aware that he's an important player. The way he carries himself makes him a role model for everyone. He's a complete player. He scores a lot of goals and is very important because he really helps the team with his runs and when we're in possession. He's a real threat in the box. We're really pleased with him and are lucky to have him.”
No player is in better form than Benzema currently and more than just the statistics, his performances on the big stage set him apart. After singlehandedly taking Chelsea down, the Frenchman has certainly outlined his Ballon d’Or credentials.