"I play for nights like this" - Karim Benzema hails 'magical' Real Madrid performance after 3-1 first-leg win against Chelsea

Karim Benzema has described Real Madrid's quarter-final first-leg tie against Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League as "another magical night" after his team won 3-1.

The Frenchman scored all three goals for Los Blancos on Wednesday, while Kai Havertz pulled one back for the Blues.

Speaking to Movistar after the match (via Marca), Benzema said:

"I don't play football to be the best in the world, I play for nights like this. Things are going well for us because we played well the whole game. It was another magical night. The three goals are very important. I'm happier with the third... because I was still thinking about the one I missed"

The striker scored two brilliant headers in the first half at the end of crosses from Vinicius Jr. and Luka Modric. He then capitalized on a mistake between Edouard Mendy and Antonio Rudiger to score his third goal of the game in the second half.

With the hat-trick, Benzema became the only French player to score 10+ goals in a single Champions League season.

The 34-year-old also joined Cristiano Ronaldo as the only two players to score consecutive hat-tricks in the Champions League. He previously scored a hat-trick against Paris Saint-Germain in the second leg of their Round of 16 tie.

The former Lyon man became the first player to score a hat-trick in European competitions against Chelsea.

Benzema also reached 50 goal involvements for the season. So far, he has scored 37 goals and made 13 assists in 36 games in all competitions for Real Madrid this season.

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Chelsea and Real Madrid gear up for the second leg as their domestic competitions seem straightforward

Chelsea are currently third in the Premier League, 14 points behind leaders Manchester City with a game in hand. They are five points above fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur and fifth-placed Arsenal.

The Blues are expected to comfortably make it to the top four this season unless they capitulate massively. They have also reached the FA Cup semi-finals, where they will face a resurgent Crystal Palace.

Real Madrid, meanwhile, have a 12-point lead at the top of La Liga over second-placed Barcelona, who have a game in hand. They have already won the Supercopa de Espana and only have the Champions League to worry about now.

The Blues will take on Southampton in the Premier League, while Los Blancos will face Getafe in La Liga on Saturday.

The tie seems straightforward, so both teams will surely have the Champions League second leg in the back of their minds.

Chelsea will need a big comeback, but Real Madrid cannot afford to be complacent against the current European champions.