Anything Vitaly Janelt can do, Karim Benzema can do better.
The Brentford midfielder’s doubled stunned Chelsea in Saturday’s 4-1 defeat – and here it was Benzema, whose hat-trick left the European Champions’ hopes of retaining their trophy hanging by a thread.
The France international – who was singled out by Thomas Tuchel beforehand as the Real Madrid player he would most like to add to his team – provided a masterclass in the art of centre forward play.
His two first-half headers were finished with such precision that he might as well have picked the ball up and placed it with his hands.
His third, straight after half-time, was a gimme following a mix-up between Edouard Mendy and Antonio Rudiger, but it is impossible to ignore the sense of panic his very presence provokes.
Perhaps the greatest surprise was that he did not put the result of this tie beyond any doubt when firing wide with only the goalkeeper to beat at the end of a white-knuckle ride of a first-half.
Chelsea will have conflicted views of this chastening night at Stamford Bridge when, at times, it looked as if they had never played in wet conditions.
On the one hand there will be a sense of fortune that there is still something in the tie – even if it will take a famous comeback to overcome Real’s 3-1 advantage.
On the other, they will rue their failure to add to Kai Havertz’s first-half header on a night when anything seemed possible. As flimsy as Real made Chelsea’s defence look, such an open encounter was ripe for more goals.
Thibaut Courtois’ acrobatics denied Cesar Azpilicueta a memorable goal – and substitute Romelu Lukaku failed to hit the target when heading towards an open goal from six yards out.
KARIM BENZEMA STOP THAT! 🎯
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) April 6, 2022
He had no right to score that! Ridiculous header 💥#UCL pic.twitter.com/jWtW2l1kcZ
In that moment the contrast between the £97.5million striker and Benzema could not have been starker. And that chance could prove to be pivotal in Chelsea’s defence of their crown could hinge.
Of course, the precarious position Tuchel’s team find themselves in cannot be laid at Lukaku’s door.
This was a night when Chelsea’s famous blue wall crumbled. What was weakened by Brentford at the weekend, was bulldozed by Real four days later.
Vinicius Jr made such light work of Andreas Christensen in the first-half that the Dane did not emerge for the second. Real’s ease at charging through midfield, meanwhile, was such that Tuchel took the near-unthinkable decision to replace N’Golo Kante at the midway point as well.
On a slick pitch, too many Chelsea players struggled to keep their feet. Passes were under and over hit – their judgement of the pace of play generally misjudged. Thiago Silva was exposed. Azpilicueta, playing on the left, was uncomfortable under attack.
Vinicius Jr hit the bar after just 10 minutes, in which Real had looked in danger of being overrun until a burst from Benzema opened Chelsea up. It was a warning Chelsea did not heed as they continued to press high with abandon.
After 21 minutes Benzema punished them – stooping to head Vinicius Jr’s cross into the roof of the net. Three minutes later he repeated the trick – this time heading Luka Modric’s cross from the opposite side beyond the reach of Mendy and into the corner.
Stamford Bridge was stunned – but it did not feel like game over. Especially when Jorginho’s cross was headed in by Havertz five minutes before half time. Tuchel’s side had been given a foothold and a comeback felt on.
Mateo Kovacic and Hakim Ziyech emerged for the second-half – but within seconds Chelsea had gifted Madrid another goal and potentially the tie.
Mendy – 20 yards out of his area – under hit his pass to Rudiger. Rudiger still could have cleared, but tried to get it under control instead.
Benzema pounced and rolled home for his hat-trick and, potentially, keep Real rolling into the semi-final.
