In the end, 17 minutes was enough for Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema to score the hat-trick that knocked out opponents Paris Saint Germain in a 3-1 win in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16. In the first leg, the Paris star ensemble had missed a number of chances in the 1-0 win. This time, the 1-0 lead by Kylian Mbappe and a moderate performance by Real in the first hour were not enough for promotion. “The second half was magical. Karim just showed again how important he is for us. The quality he brings is simply unbelievable,” enthused Austria’s David Alaba after his team’s success. Karim Benzema said after the game: “Real are alive and we showed we can beat anyone.” Benzema has completed 500 competitive games for the Madrilenians. Only Roberto Carlos (524) is ahead of him in the legionnaire statistics.
Opponent Paris proved to be a bad loser after the game. Coach Mauricio Pochettino saw referee Danny Makkelie from the Netherlands and his VAR team as the culprit. Before the 1: 1 there was a clear foul on Paris goalkeeper Donnarumma. His players would not have had their emotions under control afterwards. However, this also applied to the top of the club.
According to reports in the Spanish media, PSG President Nasser Al-Khelaifi and sporting director Leonardo tried to get into the locked referee’s cabin after the defeat. There is conflicting and previously unconfirmed information about the exact course of events. There were reports that Al-Khelaifi and Leonardo went about their work “very aggressively”. Al-Khelaifi is said to have personally threatened a Real employee who filmed the scene. UEFA will evaluate a report on the incidents, penalties are threatened. It’s a delicate topic, as the 48-year-old holds important posts in European and global football. Al-Khelaifi has been a member of the UEFA Executive Committee since 2019.
turbulence in the cabin
In the cabin, too, things are said to have been high. There was reportedly a dispute between Neymar and Donnarumma there. Real coach Carlos Ancelotti didn’t want to deal with it. “The equalizer gave us strength and destroyed the opponent. After that there was only one team on the pitch.” For Paris, on the other hand, it was the first knockout round since 2019. Pochettino: “The next few weeks will not be easy for us.”
Portrait of Karim Benzema:
Source: Nachrichten
