Karim Benzema races to 90 Champions League goals: Key stats
Karim Benzema continued his solid run in the UEFA Champions League, scoring the opener for Real Madrid against Chelsea in a crucial quarter-final first-leg encounter at the Santiago Bernabeu. Benzema has now raced to 90 Champions League goals, becoming just the fourth player to do so. Real beat Chelsea 2-0 with the visitors being reduced to 10 men. We decode Benzema's stats.
Benzema clocks these numbers
Benzema now has 90 goals in the UCL and is only behind Cristiano Ronaldo (140), Lionel Messi (129), and Robert Lewandowski (91). Benzema scored his 78th UCL goal for Real Madrid, having netted 12 for former club Lyon. As per Opta, Benzema has also raced to 34 goals in the knockout stages of the competition. Ronaldo (67) and Messi (49) are above him.
349 goals for Real Madrid
Benzema scored his fourth Champions League goal in the 2022-23 season from seven games. He also has one assist. Across competitions this season, Benzema has raced to 26 goals from 33 games. He has scored 14 goals in 18 La Liga matches. Benzema now has 349 goals in 638 games for Los Blancos, including 233 in La Liga.
Benzema thrives on a record-breaking night
Benzema made his 130th appearance in the Champions League for Real Madrid. He is now the joint second-highest appearance holder for Real alongside Raul in the UCl with only Iker Casillas 150 ahead of the duo. Benzema has now equaled Erling Haaland in terms of goals scored in 2023 (18). No player from the top five European leagues has scored more.
Benzema's joy against English opponents
As per Squawka, Benzema has now been involved in 11 goals versus Premier League clubs since the start of last season (G9 A2). As per Opta, Benzema has now scored 20 goals against English opponents in the Champions League, with only Messi scoring more (27).
Real hand Chelsea a 2-0 loss
Benzema had a simple tap-in to hand Real the perfect start. Before Benzema's goal, Joao Felix forced Thibaut Courtois into a smart save. In the 59th minute, Chilwell was shown a straight red card for fouling Rodrygo, who threatened to go clean through on goal. Chelsea fought but Real scored a decisive second goal via Marco Asensio from a short corner, catching Chelsea out.
