Karim Benzema scored a scintillating hat-trick to put Real Madrid in control of their Champions League quarter-final against Chelsea, with a 3-1 victory at Stamford Bridge.
The Frenchman netted two sublime headers in the first half and, although Kai Havertz pulled one back for Chelsea with a header of his own before half-time, Benzema capitalised on a clanger from Edouard Mendy early in the second period to make it 3-1.
It was an incredibly entertaining, open game in west London but the Blues have it all to do in Madrid next week to take the defence of their Champions League trophy to the semi-final stage.
The contest is a rematch of one of last season’s semi-finals, where the Premier League side emerged as 3-1 aggregate winners, but this time they will have to produce an almighty European comeback to set up a last-four clash with either Manchester City or Atletico Madrid.
Follow all the reaction from Stamford Bridge below:
