Karim Benzema nets hat-trick for Real Madrid in UCL quarterfinal first leg vs. Chelsea

Update: Benzema found the back of the net immediately after the second half began, giving him a hat-trick for the game. This is back-to-back hat-tricks for Benzema, who scored three in Real Madrid’s comeback win over PSG in the round of 16. The visitors are now up 3-1 in the road tie of this two-leg Champions League quarterfinal.

Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema continues to showcase his form in UEFA Champions League with a marvelous header to put the visitors ahead of Chelsea in the first leg of the quarterfinal matchup. Benzema was able to position himself well for a cross from Vinicius Jr, who found the star with ease.

Things got significantly worse for Chelsea just moments later when Benzema once again found the back of the net to put Real Madrid up 2-0. This was a big moment for the Spanish club, especially given how the round of 16 matchup against Paris Saint-Germain went down. With this goal, Benzema continued to etch his name in Champions League lore. He’s only behind Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski for most goals in the competition.

According to DraftKings Sportsbook, Cheslea was +105 to win Wednesday’s match with Real Madrid listed at +275. If the visitors go on to win this tie, they’ll be considered heavy favorites to advance to the semifinal round at home in the next leg.