Soccer
Karim Benzema hat-trick lifts Real Madrid over Chelsea
Three goals from Karim Benzema were the difference as Real Madrid grabbed a 3-1 win over Chelsea in the first leg of their 2021-22 UEFA Champions League quarterfinal tie in London on Wednesday.
Benzema has been in superb form of late, with the 34-year-old striking twice within a three-minute span in the first half and taking advantage of a gift in early in the second half to complete his second-straight Champions League hat-trick.
It seemed as though Chelsea could give the visitors trouble after Benzema's first two goals, which were scored in the 21st and 24th minute of Wednesday's game. The Blues executed a well-worked move five minutes before halftime that resulted in a great cross by Jorginho that was nodded in by Kai Havertz, giving the Stamford Bridge crowd a reason to cheer and the home side reason for hope.
However, Benzema put the game away almost immediately following the break, as Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy misplayed an easy pass to Antonio Rüdiger that was picked off by the Madrid striker and shot into the wide-open goal from 40 yards away.
Madrid did well for the remainder of the match to stifle a Chelsea attack that created 20 shots, maintaining the two-goal advantage ahead of next week's second leg at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Meanwhile in Spain, Villarreal shocked Bayern Munich 1-0 off an early goal by Arnaut Danjuma. The match marked the return of Alphonso Davies to the Bayern lineup after the Canadian had missed every previous match in 2022 due to myocarditis.
