Karim Benzema helps Real Madrid get back on track: ten Chelsea beaten in Bernabéu | Champions League

Who else but Benzema? It is not without reason that the French striker won the Ballon d’Or. He owes this mainly to his scoring drive in the previous edition. Then the veteran demolished one title contender after another in the knockout phase, just as he defeated Liverpool in the round of 16 last month. And he further elevated scoring at the supreme moment against Chelsea to an art on Wednesday evening, when after twenty minutes after a sublime pass from Dani Carvajal and a save from keeper Kepa, he was once again in the right place to deal a blow.

Benzema has now patented it. You can now ask just about all English clubs. After all, the ticker was his eleventh consecutive goal against a Premier League giant. In the last nine knockout duels, Benzema was accurate fourteen times. In the only game in which he did not hit a goal (Liverpool, 1-0), the captain hoisted the cup with the big ears afterwards.

Watch Benzema’s 1-0

His numbers are staggering. Benzema is one on one in the premier class in his last 21 games. In 2023, only Erling Haaland was so accurate in all top competitions. Just last week, FC Barcelona thought it would take a big step towards the Spanish double against the arch-rival, until Benzema had had enough and secured a place in the Copa del Rey final with a hat-trick.

With three goals, he also took an advance on a place in the semi-final against Chelsea a year ago. The London club fought back in the return and forced an extension. However, it went wrong again, due to … yes, Benzema. The errant club from London again ran into the executioner’s knife. The next coach change, which followed hundreds of millions in investments in players (and managers) since owner Todd Boehly replaced the Russian Roman Abramovich, did nothing to change that.

Boehly put Tuchel, the German who helped the club to the final victory two years ago, on the street. Graham Potter was released from Brighton for ten million, only to be sacked again after 29 games. When speculation with big names such as Julian Nagelsmann (replaced by Tuchel at Bayern Munich) and Luis Enrique was just getting underway, Boehly conjured up the previously fired Frank Lampard.

The club icon picked up where he left off in his first term as manager. After the defeat against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Chelsea can almost write Champions League football on the stomach. Lampard saw João Felix break out quickly, but encountered Thibaut Courtois. The Belgian, with many brilliant reflexes, Madrid’s other protagonist in the previous success campaign, also kept Raheem Sterling from scoring with a wonderful save in the short corner after Benzema’s opening goal.

Watch Asensio’s 2-0

For example, it was the ‘usual suspects’ who provided the Royal Dutch with a good starting position. Also Rodrygo, who saved Madrid from elimination in the final phase of the return last year, and now gave his team a surplus with a sprint. Marc Cucurella, who came on for the injured Kalidou Koulibaly, turned out not to be a central defender, after which Ben Chilwell pulled the emergency brake. Marco Asensio was the only one who benefited after a cunning corner with a striking slider.

The number nine in the Premier League kept the damage somewhat limited, but nevertheless needs a miracle to knock the team of coach Carlo Ancelotti and its leader Benzema out of the elite on Tuesday. Former Ajax player Hakim Ziyech also saw this, who had to watch the entire game from the bench.