Larry Windrow
Karim Benzema’s hat-trick helped Real Madrid beat defending champions Chelsea (3-1) on Wednesday, while another favorite, Bayern Munich, fell to Villarreal (1-0) in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals. .
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AKarim Benzema did it again at Chelsea (3-1) on Wednesday, after beating Paris SG with a hat-trick victory when he returned from the previous round, putting Real Madrid in a better position in the quarter-final first leg of the Champions League. .
The hat-trick teacher, the French striker who managed to eliminate Paris SG in the previous round managed a new XXL performance, which cemented his place among the best strikers in the history of the competition.
He performed a hat-trick (21st, 24th, 40th) for the fourth time in C1, surpassing only Cristiano Ronaldo (8), Lionel Messi (8th) and Robert Lewandowski (5).
He signed his first two goals with a header, sealing his hat-trick using a huge save error by goalkeeper Edward Mendy in an extraordinary record for former Leonois.
The decision allows Madrid, who have not won in the UK since 2014, to take a big step into the last four before returning on Tuesday.
They stunned Chelsea, who lost on the pitch, as their future is unclear because of the sales process initiated by its Russian owner, Roman Abramovich, who is facing sanctions over the conflict in Ukraine.
After the defeat against Brentford (4-1) in the Championship on Saturday, the London players face a new defeat at home, which worries them at the crucial dawn of April.
A header from Koy Howard (40th) allowed them to retain their confidence. France international N’Colo Conte was replaced at half-time.
Villarreal Surprise Bayern
Bayern are also aiming for the final in the State de France at the end of May. But like Chelsea, it needs to change course in six days. The Munichs were surprised by Villarreal, a foreigner who scored early in the game through Arnaud Tanzuma (8th). The worst thing is that they were dominated by the Spaniards.
Francis Cochlear thought he had scored the break goal (19th), but he was offside. When the Germans were forced to equalize, the “yellow submarine” created opportunities at the counter.
The revenge at the Alliance Arena promises to be dangerous for Kingsley Common’s team players, who were knocked out against PSG in the quarterfinals last season.
Laurence Malcom
