_The Frenchman is in sensational form in front of goal, while Zinedine Zidane’s side have a strong spine capable of supporting another title triumph_
*Real Madrid 3-1 Atalanta*
It’s about time Karim Benzema starts getting the respect he deserves.
At the Alfredo Di Stefano Stadium on Tuesday evening, the Real Madrid striker struck his 70th Champions League goal to set his side on their way to a 3-1 win over Atalanta that saw the hosts progress to the quarter-finals 4-1 on aggregate
Only Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski and Raul Gonzalez have scored more times in the competition than the Frenchman. His class just cannot be questioned.
Likewise, in disposing of a dangerous side like Atalanta, who had already won at Liverpool and Ajax this season, Real Madrid also showed the rest of Europe that they shouldn’t be underestimated, despite back-to-back last-16 exits in 2019 and 2020.
Their spine is stronger now, with Thibaut Courtois, Sergio Ramos, Casemiro and Luka Modric all performing brilliantly in a team spearheaded by Benzema.
Ramos, only just back from a knee injury, was solid at the back and added Madrid’s second on the night from the penalty spot, pleading with coach Zinedine Zidane to leave him on the pitch as Eder Militao warmed up.
The coach wanted to take off his captain to protect that dodgy knee, as he did in the weekend comeback against Elche, but Ramos was hungry for minutes. With his contract up at the end of the season, this could well be his last campaign for Madrid.
The skipper has won the Champions League four times, the same as Benzema, and the duo would love to add another, which would be a record 14th for Real Madrid, who have quite the love affair with this tournament.
Atalanta started well and pried open the Blancos early on, but Robin Gosens spurned what proved his team’s best chance of the first half by shooting meekly at Courtois.
Gian Piero Gasperini’s exciting underdogs nearly made last year’s semi-finals and even though they had the better of the opening period, it was Madrid who took the lead.
Marco Sportiello’s gross error led to Benzema’s opener, with the goalkeeper passing the ball straight to Luka Modric, who squared for the Frenchman to tuck home after 34 minutes.
Benzema has six goals in his last five games across all competitions and is in a state of grace.
Madrid have problems in attack but in the Frenchman they have a get-out clause, as his late goals against Atletico Madrid and Elche underlined in their previous two outings in La Liga.
Vinicius should have doubled Real Madrid’s lead after the break but nudged the ball wide after a breathtaking dribble. The footwork was sublime, the finishing suboptimal.
Too often in his Madrid career has that been the case, with just 13 goals in 103 appearances for the club.
Minutes later, though, he ran at Atalanta again and this time dfender Rafael Toloi clumsily hacked him down just inside the area, with Dutch referee Danny Makkelie pointing to the spot.
Ramos dispatched it without fuss to register his first goal since November, against another side in Inter.
The defender’s record from the spot is exceptional, as was Ronaldo’s before him, so there’s no question of Benzema getting his hands on penalties, but if the Frenchman had been taking them, he would be in triple figures for Champions League goals.
Avant Sports Desk