Karim Benzema now sits at the same table as Di Stéfano
Half artist, half warrior... Karim Benzema lit up the Santiago Bernabéu on a night where, at the break it seemed that Madrid were heading for a disappointing Champions League exit. The French striker was ably assisted by Vinicius (who was instrumental in all three goals) as both players created mayhem in the PSG box and were key in seeing the Ligue 1 side unravel. Donnarumma was robbed by the French striker and that opening goal for Real Madrid was the detonator for what was to come, changing the mood inside the stadium completely. The Bernabéu responded and a further brace from Benzema was enough to turn the tie around and see the Frenchman overtake Di Stéfano in Real Madrid's all-time scorers ranking.
Game of two halves
On those big European nights when the atmosphere at the Bernabéu becomes all-consuming, Real Madrid are lifted as their opponents invariably wilt. The first half was dominated by the French side who looked a solid bet to progress with a 0-1 lead on the night where Madrid failed to control Mbappé. The PSG striker was the thorn in Real Madrid's side in Paris and it was his strike before the break that saw the Ligue 1 side lead 2-0 on aggregate at the interval. At that point in time, it was hard to see anyway through for Real Madrid, who, despite a bright first 15 minutes, had run out of ideas against a dominant PSG side who were being driven on by their talisman Mbappé.
Individual talent vs team effort
Strange things can happen at the Santiago Bernabéu on big Champions League nights and we've seen how PSG have crumbled in previous situations when faced with adversity with the Parisian side not famed for copious amounts of 'bottle'. The French giants have assembled a team of key individuals who, when the chips are down, fail to step up and this is something we saw clearly last night. Pochettino's changes failed to have the desired effect and Madrid advance to the quarter-final. If anything, last night was a win for a team against that of expensive individuals and that is something to celebrate. And, if nothing else, last night should serve as an example to Mbappé that his future lies not with PSG but with the side from the Bernabéu.