Karim Benzema was the hero as Real Madrid came from behind to dump Paris Saint-Germain out of the Champions League with a 3-1 victory.
Kylian Mbappe opened the scoring on the night, beating Courtois at his near post to put the French side in control of the round of 16 tie.
PSG then thought they had scored a second after a piece of outrageous skill from Mbappe. However, the forward was deemed to be offside.
With one foot in the quarterfinals, PSG looked like they were cruising. However, the French side collapsed thanks to the incredible Karim Benzema.
PSG self-destruct
Los Blancos got back into the game after a calamitous error from PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. The Italian dithered on the ball, playing it straight to Vinicius Junior after intense pressure from Benzema. After a quick cut-back, Benzema tapped the ball home.
Cue alarm bells ringing for PSG.
Madrid’s second goal came from a counter-attack, after Neymar lost the ball. A clever run from maestro Luka Modric sent Madrid flying toward PSG’s goal. The Croatian’s clever through ball then fed Benzema, who fired home with the help of a deflection from Marquinhos.
The PSG centre-back inadvertently helped Benzema for his third goal too.
Real won the ball back and attacked again directly from PSG’s kickoff. Marquinhos looked to have stopped the attack with an interception. However, the Brazilian’s pass instead went to the feet on the onrushing Benzema. The Frenchman fired a first time effort into the net from the edge of the box, sending the Bernabeu into a frenzy.
It was another awful Champions League collapse by PSG. However, the French side took exception to Real’s first goal being awarded without a VAR check.
First goal controversy
The Parisians thought that Karim Benzema fouled Donnarumma when he pressured the keeper into giving the ball away. Some claim that Benzema tripped the Italian. On the other hand, however, the Real forward appeared to simply put pressure on his opponent rather than commit an offence.
PSG’s hierarchy were reportedly outraged. As per ESPN, PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi and sporting director Leonardo confronted the officials about the decision after the game.
Manager Mauricio Pochettino was similarly frustrated, calling the incident “a clear foul”.
Karim Benzema responds
Unsurprisingly, Karim Benzema did not share the same opinion.
When asked about the incident by Canal+, Benzema dismissed suggestions of a foul.
“The first goal? No, nothing,” he said. “No foul. Just pressing.
“He [Donnarumma] should have cleared it. He waits and waits and loses the ball in the end.”
Fortunately for Real, the officials took the same view, and the goal deservedly stood.
It was another incredible performance by Benzema, who moved up to third all-time on Real Madrid’s scoring list with his hat-trick.
PSG, in contrast, have to wait until next season to try and win the greatest prize in club football.
Featured Image Credit: Getty