Real Madrid had a statement to prove when they faced PSG in the second leg of the Round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League. When the final whistle was blown, they taught the French club why the Spanish Giants are known as the ‘Kings of UCL’.
The Los Blancos silenced the away team in the second half, as they made a strong comeback in the second with the help of their star striker Karim Benzema, who scored a hat-trick.
Kylian Mbappe scored a goal in the first half to increase the lead of PSG to two goals as they won the first leg 1-0 in Paris. With that strike, PSG players and fans almost believed that they would progress to the next round easily with the two-goal advantage. But Real Madrid had other plans at their fortress, the Santiago Bernabeu.
The Spanish club broke the heart of Parisians with the inspiring comeback. PSG were again stunned in the knockout round as it happened in the past seasons against Manchester United and Barcelona. Losing the game from a winning position is now a routine for the French club.
Kylian Mbappe scored once in each leg, and the French superstar was the main talking point pre-match due to a left-foot knock picked up in training earlier this week as well as the Spanish giants’ interest in signing him as a free agent this summer, and he lived up to the expectations.
The first ended 0-1 to PSG after the goal from Mbappe. In the second half, the fans at the Santiago Bernabeu saw a dominant Los Blancos who were not ready to give up. They got the reward for the high pressure on PSG as they scored the first goal from an error from Donnarumma. Benzema finished it off quickly to change the momentum of the game.
Vinicius Junior used his pace to get into the box quickly. But could not find the net. But, everyone could foresee a second goal for the home team.
Benzema made no mistake minutes later to make it 2-2 aggregate, and seconds afterwards, he completed an awe-inspiring hat-trick when Madrid punished PSG’s poor performance from the kick-off.
“We wanted to see this stadium like the fans were today, we needed them, the win is for them; it was very difficult, we pushed until the end and we deserved to go through,” Benzema said postmatch.
“We lost the first leg. We were 1-0 down at half-time; it was a huge effort, the fans pushed us to give everything until the end. They’re Champions League games, and it’s difficult. We know PSG like to have the ball. We started well, we had chances, we didn’t take them, and they scored on the counter, but in the second half, we played our game.”
“When we press we can beat any team, it’s about pressing as a team, everyone in their position, and with the fans. Every game is a final for us, in the league and the Champions League. Today Real Madrid are alive.”
