The Los Blancos striker scored a double in his side's 4-3 loss at Manchester City in the first leg of the Champions League match on Tuesday.
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Although Real Madrid lost the first leg of the Champions League semi-final clash 4-3 at Manchester City, Karim Benzema was once again at his best scoring two goals on the night. The Frenchman’s second goal came through a Panenka penalty kick late in the match to reduce the deficit to just one goal going into the second leg at Santiago Bernabeu next week. After goals from Kevin de Bruyne and Gabriel Jesus had put the hosts 2-0 up, Benzema pulled one back for the visitors.
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? @Benzema ?#UCL pic.twitter.com/5IKmKhv6cr
— Real Madrid C.F. ???? (@realmadriden) April 26, 2022
After the break, Phil Foden netted Man City’s third of the night from Fernandinho’s inch-perfect cross before Vinicius Junior’s solo goal made the score 3-2. Bernardo Silva restored Man City’s two goal cushion with a stunning strike from inside the box, sixteen minutes from time.
But one of the key moments of the game arrived when Man City defender Aymeric Laporte handled the ball inside the box and the referee pointed to the spot. Benzema stepped up and converted the penalty with a cheeky Panenka kick down the middle.
It was the 34-year-old striker’s 41st goal of the season across all competitions and he is in the form of his life. Benzema said: “I always have it in my head that if you don’t take a penalty, you will never miss a penalty. That’s mental confidence and that’s all. I have a lot of confidence in myself… so I do it and it turns out well.”
His boss Carlo Ancelotti said: “I think he changed because the last two penalties were not good. He tried in training, I didn’t know how he would shoot. He chose this [Panenka] and he did really well, showing strong personality and character. It’s not easy in the semi-final of the Champions League to shoot a penalty like this.”
Benzema’s first goal of the night was also a brilliant one as he got on the end of Ferland Mendy’s cross to volley home past Ederson with a first-time left-foot effort from 12 yards out.
Both sides went out with an attacking game plan, while the defenders had a night to forget. Madrid’s back four was in sixes and sevens in the opening half-hour and the deficit could have been much more, had the Man City attackers been a bit more clinical in front of goal.
Man City boss Pep Guardiola said: “It was a fantastic game for both sides. We did many good things. Unfortunately we conceded goals and we could not score more.
