Karim Benzema, despite his recent struggles in front of goal for Real Madrid, continues to show the quality and talent which propelled him to the best form of his life last season and the 2022 Ballon d'Or for the best player in world football.
This weekend the 35-year-old Frenchman became the first Real Madrid player to score a first-half hat-trick in any competition, netting three times in the space of just six minutes and 30 seconds against Real Valladolid – the club owned by another legendary Real Madrid number nine, Ronaldo Nazario – and not far off the quickest hat-trick in league history, scored by compatriot Kevin Gameiro for Atlético de Madrid vs Real Sporting in February 2017 (four minutes, 45 seconds).
Benzema's goals on Sunday afternoon were his first in LaLiga Santander since mid-February but he blew away any talk of a long dry spell in sensational fashion. With his goals tally in LaLiga Santander this season now standing at 14, he now sits just three goals behind Pichichi favourite Robert Lewandowski of FC Barcelona (17).
He is the league's fifth all-time leading goalscorer with 233 goals, behind only Lionel Messi (474), long-time teammate Cristiano Ronaldo (311), Telmo Zarra (252) and Hugo Sánchez (234).
What's more, he went down in Real Madrid history books for yet another record this weekend, becoming the first player to ever score more than 20 goals in 11 different seasons for Los Blancos, surpassing the great Raúl González and Alfredo Di Stefano (10).
With Benzema back in red-hot scoring form ahead of the second leg of the ElClásico showdown in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday night (9pm CEST), a Champions League quarter-final against free-spending Chelsea FC and the crucial LaLiga Santander run-in, Real Madrid will be leaning on their captain to make it through one of the toughest months of their season. Stay tuned!
