Pedro Salado/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images
Real Madrid earned a 3-1 win over Chelsea in a rematch of last year’s Champions League semifinal.
Karim Benzema starred once again with a hat trick in the first leg of Wednesday’s UCL quarterfinal tie at Stamford Bridge.
It was the second straight UCL hat trick for Benzema, who also scored three goals against Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16. The striker now has 11 goals in eight matches during this Champions League campaign.
Real Madrid will look to close things out in the return leg on April 12 with a trip to the Champions League semifinal on the line. The squad has the most European championships of all time, while Chelsea are seeking a second straight title, but only one can advance in this knockout stage.
Chelsea started strong in the rain on Wednesday, but it was Real Madrid that grabbed an early lead thanks to two quick goals from Benzema.
The two world-class headers came in a span of just three minutes to help Real Madrid take control of the match.
The continued production on big stages has been emblematic of Benzema’s overall performance this season:
A deep run in Champions League would certainly help Benzema’s case for a Ballon d’Or.
Chelsea still didn’t give in with the 2-0 deficit, keeping the pressure on with several close chances.
The home team finally broke through in the 40th minute with a strong header from Kai Havertz:
Liam Twomey @liam_twomey
A brilliant header of a different type from Havertz. Not as elegant as either of Benzema’s but really brave to go in fully committed vs Carvajal’s boot. Chelsea have life – they just need to stop getting carved open! <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/CFC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#CFC</a>
It created a 2-1 margin at halftime with the tie still in the balance.
Of course, the momentum quickly shifted back to Real Madrid when a mistake by Edouard Mendy created a golden opportunity for Benzema to complete his hat trick.
ESPN Stats & Info @ESPNStatsInfo
Karim Benzema is the 2nd player to score hat tricks in consecutive <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/UCL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#UCL</a> KO Stage matches and first since Cristiano Ronaldo in 2017 (QF & SF) for Real Madrid vs Bayern and Atlético Madrid. <a href=”https://t.co/jsADgb7vw1″>pic.twitter.com/jsADgb7vw1</a>
It put the game out of reach for Chelsea, which couldn’t cut the margin despite several chances over the final half hour.
Romelo Lukaku had an open header after coming on as a sub, while a few other shots challenged goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. The two-goal deficit remained, creating an uphill battle to avoid elimination.
The Premier League club did beat Real Madrid 2-0 in the second leg of their tie last year, but it could be a tougher feat on the road at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
Real will look to move one step closer to its first Champions League title since Cristiano Ronaldo left in 2018.
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