Benzema scores a hat-trick in six minutes against Valladolid to help Real win 6-0

Europe 1 with AFP 19:59 pm, April 02, 2023

The Ballon d'Or always shines! Thanks to a hat-trick in six minutes and thirty seconds from Karim Benzema, Real Madrid strangled Valladolid 6-0 on Sunday and remains twelve points behind FC Barcelona, a wide winner 4-0 Saturday night in Elche, at the end of the 27th day of the Spanish Championship. The Merengues opened the scoring with a goal from Rodrygo (22nd), then took off thanks to Benzema's hat-trick, the head (29th), the right (32nd) and a remarkable acrobatic recovery (36th), before Marco Asensio (73rd) and Lucas Vazquez (90th+2) sealed this correction.

A victory that allows them to fill up with confidence before the semi-final return of the Copa del Rey against FC Barcelona on Wednesday (21:00) at Camp Nou, a crucial match for Carlo Ancelotti's men, defeated 1-0 in the first leg and who have let slip the last three clasicos. A success that reassures, too, after the window of international matches and ten days before the quarter-final first leg of the Champions League against Chelsea at the Santiago-Bernabéu.

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Here we go again Hazard

And like last year against the Blues, Karim Benzema saw triple Sunday against Valladolid. After the first goal by Rodrygo, the French goleador concluded with the head a center served at the second post by Vinicius (29th), then hooked a defender before unleashing a clear strike from the entrance of the box (32nd), before concluding his triptych with this jewel of recovery of volley from the right, back to the goal (36th).

According to Spanish statistician MisterChip, it was the fastest hat-trick scored in La Liga since that of another Frenchman, Kevin Gameiro, who scored one in four minutes and 45 seconds with Atlético Madrid against Sporting Gijon on February 18, 2017. And again: the centre-forward was close to the quadruple, but his brushed recovery from the right only scratched the surface of Sergio Asenjo's right-hand post in the 40th minute.

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Return of Eden Hazard

And "KB9" did not have time to score more: he gave way in the 64th, to give way to Eden Hazard, whose entry into the game was a small event in itself. The Belgian had not played a single minute in the white jersey since January 3, in the 1-0 victory against Cacereno, a Spanish D4 club, in the 16th final of the Copa del Rey.

Hazard even had time to serve the assist of the last Madrid goal for Lucas Vazquez, on a bad clearance from the opposing goalkeeper (90th+2). Valladolid had few opportunities to express themselves, except for the pivotal strike unleashed by Kike Perez just on the return from the locker room (46th) that shook Thibaut Courtois' left post and hit his back, without entering the cage.