Paris Saint Germain and disappointment seem to be the best of buddies due to how they always get dumped out of the UEFA Champions League in the most unlikeliest of circumstances. Just when you think they have crossed that hurdle and just when it looks certain that they would win, they just falter and allow the opposition back into the game. Who would have thought that Real Madrid would win after Mbappe gave them the lead earlier in the game? They were outdone by the brilliance of Karim Benzema whose hat-trick did it for Real Madrid on the night.
The tempo of the game would let you know this would be a wonderful encounter and Courtois should be praised for helping Madrid ease through. He denied Mbappe twice in the early exchanges and those saves proved pivotal because it would have caused more damage to Real Madrid early on.
Neymar should have done better with the attempts be had too. One was blocked off and the other one was a tame shot where he should have struck the ball cleanly. Benzema showed Paris a taste of what's to come from him after his effort only missed narrowly when he tried a quick shot. Messi's chipped effort was cleared off before it can cause any real danger as no Paris player was lurking around to bundle the ball into the net.
Mbappe was the only one giving hope to PSG as he was a constant menace to Madrid. He had a goal ruled off for offside but he didn't stop there as he used his pace to run to a lovely pass. He held his ground as he found the back of the net, beating the goalkeeper at the near post, 1-0. Mbappe thought he had gotten his second goal of the game after he beat the goalkeeper with a near-post finish despite beating the goalkeeper with his quick trickery feet but he was flagged for offside. It would feel as though it wasn't his might as he has seen two of his goals ruled out for offside. Shortly before Benzema gave Real Madrid the lead for the first time in the game, he saw his header missed narrowly yet again.
Karim Benzema showed a captain performance and he was the live wire for Real Madrid as well as he was able to spark them to life after Vinicius Jr managed to keep the ball in play and fed him with a lovely pass which Benzema finished off, 1-1. Benzema heaped the pressure on Donnarumma after he held on to the back pass too long which allowed Benzema to close down on him. The partnership between Vinicius Jr and Karim Benzema is something Real Madrid are profiting from lately.
He gave Madrid the lead after he beat the offside trap from a Luka Modric's pass. He found the back of the net with ease and the Paris empire started crumbling at that point, 2-1. Another defensive error gave Karim Benzema the hat-trick he deserved for his brilliant effort on the night after he pounced on the ball and scored, 3-1. Marquinhos thought he had cleared the ball from danger after disrupting the flow and movement of Vinicius Jr but his clearance fell graciously to Benzema and he guided the ball into the back of the net.
This is why Benzema has stayed in Madrid for so long. Every coach knows and sees his work rate, his brilliance on the ball, his abilities and qualities. He is indispensable because he knows how to adapt his game to suit the gameplay of every coach. He can play as a link-up, he can stay up front alone, he can drift wide and bring others into play, he can charge, chase down balls and his excellent leadership skills show as well. Karim Benzema won the game for Real Madrid and he singlehandedly gave them the Quarter Final berth. What a player he is.
Karim Benzema, you don't have to like him but you have to respect him. He is like a fine wine that gets better with age... A living legend who has given so much to football and Real Madrid. Raul was sent packing I think at the age of 33 and Benzema is still waxing strong at the age of 34 and he would still be an important figure for them as the journey in the Champions League continues and of course, next season too.
It's heartbreak yet again for Paris Saint Germain as Karim Benzema ran the show and PSG sporting disaster continues. 13 times champion won't go out without a fight and they fought. What a sweet victory. I guess this is the new trend from PSG as they can now be called Bottlers FC.
Thank you for your time.
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