Only the second player from Real Madrid, Karim Benzema (35), scored a hat-trick against Barcelona away from home. At Camp Nou, only Ferenc Puskas from 60 years ago scored three goals for Real against the Blaugrana.
The Frenchman has now earned a place in the Clasico’s annals while also guiding Los Blancos to the Copa del Rey championship match against Osasuna.
In the 10th minute, as the Camp Nou chanted for Lionel Messi (35), Benzema entered the game.
Camp Nou yearned for the presence of a world-class footballer, someone who had the power to define games even when their opponent was in control.
The fans’ requests were granted, though not exactly how they had hoped. After scoring a hat-trick on Sunday against Real Valladolid, Benzema completed an incredible performance and ʀᴇᴠᴇᴀʟᴇᴅ Barcelona’s tactical flaws in the process.
“Karim is essential to us. He’s returned. He was decisive as usual today and against Valladolid, according to manager Carlo Ancelotti, who also said that.
The French forward assumed leadership of Real’s front line. By first removing the markers and then encouraging risky actions. He contributed to Vinicius’ goal in the 45th minute and ultimately scored a hat-trick that outclassed Xavi’s team.
“The second goal penalised us a lot. The penalty too… details. We didn’t take advantage of our moments and, as I said in the press conference, Madrid were always favourites. They are the Champions League winners, a great team,” said the Catalan coach.
The only other player to score a hat-trick while wearing a Real Madrid jersey in a Clasico at Camp Nou is Karim Benzema. On January 27, 1963, Ferenc Puskas became the first striker to do so.
The legendary Hungarian striker silenced the Estadio Cule crowd on the eighth LaLiga matchday of that season by scoring three times (at 24′, 35′, and 71′). In that match, Re (34′) scored the lone goal for Barcelona, while Alfredo Di Stefano (47′) and Gento (67′) completed a rout for Madrid.
The Copa del Rey championship game between Real Madrid and Osasuna will take place on May 6 at La Cartuja in Seville. Chelsea will also play the Spanish club in the quarterfinals of the European Cup.
The “ʀᴇᴀʟ season begins” in April, Ancelotti stated in a warning on Sunday. After a season marred by injuries, the Italian is at least able to use Benzema fully again.
Karim Benzema: Five great moments
Karim Benzema will always remember his season in 2021–2022. The Frenchman finished the 2021–2022 season as the competition’s leading scorer, and he was instrumental in Real Madrid winning their 14th UEFA Champions League trophy.
Thanks in part to his goal-scoring prowess, Benzema is one of the final contenders for the FIFA FIFPRO Men’s World 11 in 2022. The frontman led La Liga in goals scored and led Los Blancos to league, Spanish Super Cup, and UEFA Super Cup victories.
In October 2021, Benzema achieved success on the international stage as well. His goals in the semifinal and championship matches enabled France to win the UEFA Nations League for the first time.
FIFPRO looks back at five outstanding Benzema performances from the 2021–2022 campaign that may have propelled him into the World 11 for the first time.
Real Madrid 3-1 Paris Saint-Germain: 9 March 2022 | UEFA Champions League Round of 16, second leg
Benzema’s first outstanding European performance on the way to the championship. Real Madrid trailed 1-0 going into the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu after losing 1-0 in Paris. Then, in just 17 minutes, Benzema scored a hat-trick, saving Los Blancos from certain defeat.
Benzema’s barrage of goals from the 61st to the 78th minute propelled Los Blancos to a qualification that was unthinkable just moments earlier.
As if that weren’t enough, at the age of 34, he became the oldest player to score a hat-trick in the Champions League and surpassed Alfredo Di Stefano to become the third-highest scorer in club history with 309 goals, setting a record at the time.
Real Madrid 2-3 Chelsea: 12 April 2022 | UEFA Champions League quarter-final, second leg
Rᴇᴀʟ entered the second leg tied with Chelsea after winning the first one 3-1 at Stamford Bridge thanks to Karim Benzema’s second consecutive hat-trick. At the Bernabeu, a challenging match was anticipated because Chelsea got off to a fast start. It turned out to be accurate as Chelsea quickly took a 3-0 lead.
Rodrygo’s goal forced extra time, and it was Benzema who worked a bit of magic to seal the victory. He scored a header in the 96th minute to advance his team to the Champions League semifinals.
Real Madrid 3-1 Manchester City: 4 May 2022 | UEFA Champions League semi-final, second leg
The latest of Beznema’s 14 goals in the competition helped the eventual Champions League champions advance to the final. The Frenchman had scored twice once more in a ᴛʜʀɪʟʟɪɴɢ match, this time in a 4-3 loss in the first leg.
Madrid had to win by two goals in the second leg to qualify, which was left as the deciding game. Riyad Mahrez had already hushed the Bernabeu stadium after 73 minutes, but Rodrygo’s brace after 90 and 90+1 brought it to a boil.
But it was Benzema’s penalty, which made it 3-1 five minutes into the first half of extra time, that sent the Madrid supporters into raptures. With 14 goals, he not only became the competition’s top scorer in 2021–2022, but also the Frenchman with the most goals in a single edition.
Spain 1-2 France: 10 October 2021 | UEFA Nations League final
This final, played on the San Siro field, was no exception to the rule that finals are close games. The goal by Mikel Oyarzabal for France after 64 minutes was a setback, but not in Benzema’s eyes. Two minutes later, the forward equalized with a stunning effort from the left corner of the area. Mbappe then made it 2-1.
Benzema was chosen as Man of the Match as France claimed their first UEFA Nations League victory. He had surpassed Zinedine Zidane’s previous record of 32 goals three days earlier by scoring against Belgium in the semifinals to move up to sixth place all-time for goals scored by the French team.
Real Madrid 2-0 Eintracht Frankfurt: 10 August 2022 | UEFA Super Cup final
The Frenchman was once more in the spotlight after Real Madrid won yet another championship. He scored in the 65th minute with a right-footed shot that eluded German goalkeeper Kevin Trapp’s hands with the score already at 1-0.
With his 324th goal, Benzema not only won his first trophy as Real’s captain but also passed the legendary Raul Gonzalez to become the team’s second-highest scorer.
To surpass Cristiano Ronaldo’s 450-goal total, Benzema still has a long way to go, but he has already shown his talent.
