Benzema strikes again as Madrid fend off Chelsea comeback

With Real Madrid looking beaten and on the verge of elimination after a fierce comeback by defending champion Chelsea, Karim Benzema came up big once again in the Champions League.

Having scored a hat trick in the first leg to give Madrid a 3-1 lead, Benzema spoiled the English team’s comeback by netting the decisive goal in extra time on Tuesday to put the Spanish club back into the semifinals.

After trailing 3-0 at home, Madrid pulled two goals back to secure a 5-4 aggregate victory despite a 3-2 loss at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. “It was another incredible night at the Bernabéu,” said Madrid midfielder Luka Modric, who set up the hosts first goal.

“We suffered but we never gave up. We kept fighting until the end and managed to advance. We gave everything we had and showed great character.” Benzema also saved Madrid in the round of 16 by scoring a second-half hat trick in a 3-1 win against Paris Saint-Germain after Madrid had lost 1-0 in Paris and conceded early at the Bernabéu.

The loss will add to Chelsea’s off-the-field turmoil amid the forced sale of the club after sanctions in Britain against oligarch owner Roman Abramovich following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Madrid will next face either Manchester City or Atlético Madrid, which play on late Wednesday in the Spanish capital with City defending a 1-0 lead from the first leg.

Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has reached the Champions League semifinals for the eighth time as a manager, equaling the record held by José Mourinho and Pep Guardiola. “We suffered a lot,” Ancelotti said.

“In the end, after the 180 minutes, I think we deserved to advance.” Chelsea had eliminated Madrid 3-1 on aggregate in last year’s semifinals en route to its second Champions League title. But Madrid couldn’t play at the Bernabéu that time because the venue was undergoing major renovation work. Instead, the first leg was at the small Alfredo Di Stéfano Stadium in the club’s training center, a match that ended 1-1 before Chelsea won 2-0 in London.