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Real Madrid picked up a 3-1 win at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals. Karim Benzema scored all three goals for the visiting side while Kai Havertz scored one for the hosts in the first half.
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The game was well-contested in the initial stages but Benzema's header in the 20th minute put Madrid in the driver's seat. He doubled the club's lead just three minutes later to put the hosts on the back-foot.
Havertz halved the deficit in the 40th minute and it was almost poetic that the goal also came from a headed effort. Edouard Mendy and Antonio Rüdiger had a moment of madness as Mendy’s pass was fumbled by Rudiger which was pounced upon by Benzema completed his hat-trick with ease.
That goal put the result of the game beyond doubt and set the tone for the second half. Chelsea could not pull another goal back despite their efforts.
As the reigning champions struggled against the 13 time champions, here we take a look at the five talking points from the game.
#5 Edouard Mendy commits a rare mistake
Edouard Mendy has been the first-choice goalkeeper at Chelsea virtually since joining the club in September 2020. He was a key player in their Champions League-winning run last season. Tonight, though, he was not at his best and was also let down by his defenders.
The first two goals of the game were executed to perfection by Real Madrid, with Benzema scoring two exquisite headers. However, the Senegalese goalie was to blame for the third one.
In the opening minute of the second half, he stepped out of the box to meet a back pass but his pass to Antonio Rudiger was not up to the mark. The German defender did not attempt a block after being dispossessed and Benzema pounced on the ball to roll it into the empty net.
#4 Chelsea fail to break Madrid's labyrinth of defensive tactics
Chelsea looked a bit disorganized on the pitch and things did not click for them in the final third. Their transition from defense to attack wasn't smooth and the Madrid defenders always had their numbers.
The visitors operated with a visually appealing and effective one-touch style of football in the buildup, with the opening goal a good example of the same. Vinicius and Benzema were involved in a series of quick one-twos to open up space behind Chelsea's defensive line.
Most of the attacking moves for the hosts were halted outside the box by brave defending from the visiting side. Los Blancos players were not afraid to throw their bodies to make blocks and interceptions.
The hosts lacked the creativity to think outside the box and could only score one goal in the home leg of the quarter-final fixtures. They had 20 goal attempts but only five of them were on target.
#3 Real Madrid's team performance won them the game
Though Benzema's hat-trick was the decisive factor in Real Madrid's impressive win, it was a win built on the contributions of every single player on the team.
Thibaut Courtois was impressive in his return to his old stomping ground and made a brilliant full-stretch save to deny Cesar Azpilicueta in the second half. Vinicius Junior and Ferland Mendy caused all sorts of problems on the left flank with their pace and quick feet.
Eder Militao, Casemiro, and Dani Carvajal put in impressive defensive shifts, while Federico Valverde made some good runs throughout the game. Toni Kroos was precise as usual with his distribution (92.5% pass accuracy).
#2 Karim Benzema enjoys a historic outing as he runs riot against the reigning champions
Karim Benzema ran the show against Chelsea as the hosts struggled to contain the striker's movement and energy. The first two goals were headed goals, which were placed perfectly just beyond the reach of Mendy.
With yet another goal-laden outing, he achieved a couple of goalscoring milestones in the competition. He became the first player to score a hat-trick against Chelsea in a European competition.
He became the first French player to score more than 10 goals in a Champions League campaign. He also joined Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Robert Lewandowski as the only players with more than 80 goals in the competition.
#1 Karim Benzema sizzles with back-to-back hat-tricks in the competition
Karim Benzema looks like a man on a mission this season as he continued his red-hot form with a 25-minute hat-trick against Chelsea on Wednesday night. The Frenchman scored two headers in the span of three minutes in the first half and was gifted the third goal by Mendy's error.
He will be taking home the matchball for the second game in a row in the competition after scoring a match-winning 17-minute hat-trick against Paris Saint-Germain last time around.
He has been a difference-maker for the club this season and has done the same in this game as well. In a game that saw loads of chances for either side, his decisiveness gave the visiting side the advantage.
With three goals on Wednesday night, he now has 50 goals contributions (37 goals, 13 assists) in all competitions in a single season for the first time in his club career.
