Benzema hat-trick stuns PSG and puts Real Madrid in quarter-finals
The Real Madrid striker hit the back of the net three times in 17 minutes at the Bernabéu to put Real Madrid into the Champions League quarter-finals.
Karim Benzema scored a hat-trick in 17 minutes for Real Madrid in the second half against PSG in their Champions League round of 16 second leg game at the Bernabéu to win them the game and put them in the next round.
Real Madrid came into the game 1-0 down, having conceded late on to Real Madrid target Mbappé in the first leg in Paris, and things looked bleak for Ancelotti's side when Mbappé scored in the 39th minute this evening to make it 2-0 on aggregate.
Benzema hat-trick puts Real Madrid in the quarter-finals
As the second half ticked on and PSG seemed settled, some Madrid fans might have been excused for beginning to give up hope, but Benzema had other ideas. In the 61st minute the Frenchman harried Donnarumma into giving the ball away, it fell to Vinicius who fed it back to Benzema who buried with the Italian keeper still reeling from the mugging.
15 minutes later it was Modric the provider, slipping a superb ball to Benzema to finish and put the tie level on aggregate. But with PSG still hazily considering their options of holding on to half-time or possibly looking for a killer blow, Benzema was already slotting his third home, after a Vinicius run down the left ended up with Marquinhos clearing tamely across the front of goal to Benzema's right foot, which arrowed the ball straight through the centre of PSG's hearts and into the back of the net.
Hat-trick Benzema, Champions League dreams shattered again for PSG.