Experience is priceless. You can’t buy it, you can’t replace it. Karim Benzema has got loads of it – and he put it to good use as he saved his team from the jaws of elimination and into the Champions League quarter-finals against Paris Saint-Germain. It finishes 3-1 on the night and 3-2 on aggregate!The Spanish giants betted on their experience, but the ageing legs of Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Dani Carvajal couldn’t keep up with the lightning-quick Parisians. Karim Benzema is also not a youngster… but he’s a bit different.REAL MADRID COMEBACK TO KNOCK OUT PSG 🔥DO NOT WRITE THEM OFF IN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE. pic.twitter.com/HDqcIgQyLa— B/R Football (@brfootball) March 9, 2022 Mbappe has had two shots saved by the excellent Thibaut Courtois and has had a goal disallowed due to an offside position of his teammate Nuno Mendes inside the opening 35 minutes. It was only a matter of time before one of the swift counter-attacks was going to result in a goal. And we didn’t have to wait long either.Five minutes before the break, Neymar picked up the ball in the middle of the park and played it long into the patch of the galloping Mbappe. Again, the young star outran everyone and had only Courtois to beat. He even had a moment to steady himself before firing low into the near corner past the Belgian. It was 1-0 on the night and 2-0 on aggregate. Carlo Ancelotti’s Los Blancos had a mountain to climb – and just over 45 minutes to do it. The stage was set.Once again, the Madrid team needed their best goalscorer Benzema to create something out of thin air and of course he did – just like he’s been doing for over a decade now. He made the most out of a PSG’s lapse in concentration led to the ball being rolled to the Frenchman to slam home and make it 1-1 on the night. The Spanish team needed one more goal to force extra time. The time limit was around 30 minutes. But they’ve done it in just over 30 seconds!🇫🇷 Karim Benzema = oldest player to score a hat-trick in the #UCL era (34 years, 80 days) 👏 pic.twitter.com/B0k9aCuZzX— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) March 9, 2022 Benzema scored two almost identical goals, one after the other, as Paris defenders looked in wonder and the Bernabeu crowd erupted with elation. They’ve just witnessed one of the most unlikely comebacks in living memory! Three Benzema goals, three goals for Real Madrid – and Los Blancos were ahead for the first time in this two-legged tie.Suddenly, it was Mauricio Pochettino’s team searching for a goal that would warrant another 30 minutes of football. Lionel Messi had an attempt from a free-kick that flew just over the bar, but there was no coming back. This was Benzema’s night.Real Madrid win. Paris Saint-Germain lose. Again.Manchester City were already through after their crushing win over Sporting Clube de Portugal in Lisbon by five goals to nil. Manager Pep Guardiola indulged in some squad rotation with a clear goal to blood a couple of youngsters – and a veteran! Scott Carson was between the sticks for City. It was his second Champions League match – nearly 17 years after his first one! He’s hept a clean sheet too. It ended goalless.CHAMPIONS LEAGUERound of 16 – second legTuesdayBayern – Salzburg 7-1 (4-0)/Lewandowski 12 (p), 21 (p), 23, Gnabry 31, Muller 54, 83, Sane 85 – Kjaergaard 71/Liverpool – Inter 0-1 (0-0)/Lautaro 61/Wednesday Real Madrid – PSG 3-1 (0-1)/Benzema 61, 76, 78 – Mbappe 39/Manchester City – Sporting 0-0
