Karim Benzema scored twice as holders Real Madrid held off a late Bayern Munich onslaught to edge into their third consecutive Champions League final on Tuesday.
A 2-2 second-leg draw at the Bernabeu sealed a 4-3 semi-final aggregate victory as Real reached the May 26 final in Kiev.
Here’s an in-depth look at the Frenchman’s display.
KEY STATS
Goals – 2
Assists – 0
Shots – 2
Shots on Target – 2
Key Passes – 2
Passing Accuracy – 73%
Dribbles – 4
Touches – 49
30-SECOND REPORT
For the second year running, Benzema proved the difference in a Champions League semi-final when his side were looking vulnerable to a second-leg comeback. Last year it was an outrageous bit of skill to set up a goal that cut Atlético Madrid‘s lead to 2-1. Tuesday’s brace was not as eye-catching, but it was arguably far more impactful.
GOT RIGHT
His movement and work rate, always underrated aspects of his game, were sublime yet again. It was the former trait that earned him the first goal and the latter that got the second. But what this game really showed is the value of perseverance. Benzema has never let his head get down, and his reward was a superb brace.
GOT WRONG
Some of his link-up play wasn’t up to scratch – he missed a couple of opportunities to play in Cristiano Ronaldo and dallied on the ball on other occasions. On other nights, he would have bagged a couple of assists had he been aware of his teammates attacking runs. Of course, when you score two goals, such failings are forgiven.
KEY MOMENTS
11th minute – GOAL: A classic poacher’s goal. Benzema’s movement to get himself free was brilliant, and it left him with a free header into an empty net.
46th minute – GOAL: An even simpler goal than the first. Thiago’s pass back to the keeper was under-hit, and with Benzema closing him down Sven Ulreich slipped, leaving the Frenchman with a tap-in.
VERDICT
It seems as if the football world has been waiting all season long for Benzema to justify the faith manager Zinedine Zidane and just about everyone involved with Real Madrid have in him. On Tuesday, he delivered, when his team needed it most. The delight with which Ronaldo greeted his teammate at the final whistle said it all.
RATING – 9/10
