The country (Spain): “Benzema’s Sistine Chapel“
“With pure fire, with a stadium turned upside down and Benzema painting his Sistine Chapel, it’s like Madrid swallowed PSG. When they were already beginning to pray for the white soul, Benzema raised a dead man (…) The man who for years carried without a care with the label of cold chest came out of nowhere to bring down the French team. It was a complete Marian appearance. From zero to beyond in 15 minutes. An indelible performance that, in addition, placed him above Alfredo di Stéfano in the club’s top scorers table: 309 after the myth’s 308. Only Cristiano Ronaldo and Raúl remain ahead (…) Pure fever and little white football before Benzema created his masterpiece. 34 years old, already pardoned with the French national team, the striker put the definitive key in his passage to the history with capital letters of Madrid”.
L’Equipe (France): “Punished by the King”
“Author of a hat-trick in 17 minutes, Benzema was regal”, reflects the cover of the printed edition of the newspaper.
“Benzema overexcited; Marquinhos overwhelmed”
“The hero of the match. Author of a hat-trick, he single-handedly turned the game around. His pressure pushed Donnarumma into an error on the first goal and reignited the game. His shot from the outside in the third is a delight. With 309 goals, he surpasses Alfredo Di Stéfano and becomes the third top scorer in the history of Madrid. Everything has been said. Chapó”, says L’Equipe in his one-by-one analysis of the game”.
RMC Sport (France): “Benzema even more in the legend of Real Madrid“
“Benzema is sensational. Thanks to his three goals, the ex-Lyon player single-handedly knocked down the capital team and enters a little further into the history of Real Madrid and the European Cup. […] The Santiago Bernabéu stadium has a reputation for its over-excited atmosphere. But Tuesday’s evening was partly thanks to one player: Karim Benzema. The French attacker turned the game around in just 17 minutes.”
The Parisien (France): “Benzema sees triple and sinks the Parisians“
“Author of three goals, the Madrid captain extinguished the Parisian hopes by qualifying, alone, for Real Madrid. (…) It was written that Mbappé could score this match. But in Madrid, an even bigger man eclipsed the Parisian attacker “.
BBC (United Kingdom): “Benzema’s brilliance outshines Mbappé”
“Benzema scored a superb hat-trick in the second half as Madrid produced an exciting comeback at a raucous Bernabéu. (…) Mbappé had done it again for PSG to command their Round of 16 tie. But Benzema had other ideas The striker stunned the spectators with a hat-trick in 17 minutes.” Former England international striker Izzy Christiansen commented on BBC Radio 5 Live: “I think Karim Benzema feels somewhat undervalued at Real Madrid and uses this as motivation in games.”
Rio Ferdinand at BT Sport
“We are all salivating with Mbappé, the most devastating player at the moment, but in the second half Benzema appears and says: ‘No, no, no. I’m not done yet. And he explodes with a hat-trick. Benzema is for me the 9 more complete. It does every part of the game fantastically well.”
Guardian (United Kingdom): “Benzema scores a hat-trick to complete an impressive comeback”.
“Once upon a time there was a dream that was Paris. It lasted just over an hour. At that point Karim Benzema entered, who had the night of his football life in this round of 16 of the Champions League. (…) Who did it? saw it coming? Probably just Benzema, who turned the game around before that final fantasy moment.”
La Gazzetta dello Sport (Italy): “Benzema’s show: a screaming hat-trick“
“Benzema brought the whites back into the game. From then on, he eliminated PSG, who disappeared from the field in an embarrassing way. There is only Real, the team that no one can take out of the Champions League, although it seems far from what higher. There is only Karim Benzema, the eternal Benzema”.
Corriere dello Sport (Italy): “Benzema runs over Mbappé”
“A clamorous comeback from Real Madrid, who beat PSG and fly to the quarterfinals of the Champions League thanks to an incredible Benzema. (…) Ancelotti advances to the quarterfinals thanks to a wild Benzema.”
Tuttosport (Italy): “Benzema, legendary hat-trick”
“Benzema is unleashed, who thanks to the sudden collapse of Pochettino’s team, finds a fantastic hat-trick and gives victory to Ancelotti”.
LaLiga Santander
*Data updated as of March 10, 2022
Record (Portugal): “Benzema traces an inevitable destiny”
“With three goals in 17 minutes, the Frenchman was Real Madrid’s hero on a historic night.”
Ole (Argentina): “Three from Benzema and bye to Messi’s pale PSG“
“The 9 of Real Madrid nailed a hat-trick in 17 minutes, turned the result and the series around and took Leo and Pochettino’s team out of the Champions League. (…) How do you explain this new elimination, this new frustration , of the French team? It is explained in the hierarchy of Real Madrid. In the badge of the King of Europe. In the category of Karim Benzema. (…) Benzema pressed Donnarumma against the line. He filled him with doubts, The goalkeeper rejected inside, Vinicius grabbed it, and gave it to the one who knows how to: define: Benzema, for 1-1”.
Kickers (Germany): “Magical: Benzema turns the Bernabéu into a madhouse“
“The striker makes the Bernabéu boil with a hat-trick. The madridistas have a striker in their ranks whose quality they have very few players. Benzema turned the game around by himself. It was an impeccable hat-trick in 17 minutes”.