Chelsea’s cheat sheet – Real Madrid (1-3) after Benzema’s hat-trick: The best player in the world is French

The game: It’s gone in all directions, except the one desired by Chelsea

It was to be a match between a confident Chelsea in their 3-4-3 and a wait-and-see Madrid at a slow tempo to better sting on the counter carried by their Vinicius-Benzema duo. It was a supercharged cocktail, a game with crazy intensity and an unpredictable scenario. Where the Blues will have seemed strangely amorphous, as against Brentford last Saturday (1-4), Real were unleashed and very coherent in their modular 4-3-3.

Result: carried by a Benzema of the big nights, by an eternal trio in the middle and by a vigilant Thibaut Courtois, it was Real who got their hands on the match in the first period. Aware of the current limits of his men, Thomas Tuchel switched to a flat 4-4-2 for more presence in the Madrid camp in the second half. It was without counting on the faith of Benzema.

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The players: Benzema alone on his planet

From his first balloons, we felt that he was in his bubble. Technical accuracy, intelligent pressing, tactical influence: his match was the very definition of the ideal striker of the 21st century. His exceptional hat-trick, including a double header that has definitely become a lethal weapon, still brings him into another dimension as he flew over this match with his talent. At his side, Luka Modric and Vinicius did everything to participate in his brilliance while Thibaut Courtois again proved that in his position, one does not do better.

With the Blues, there are many disappointments, from the overwhelmed defense, illustrated by this big mistake by Edouard Mendy and Anthony Rüdiger, and by the complicated performance of Thiago Silva to the frankly worrying inefficiency of an unrecognizable Romelu Lukaku. Active but with waste, Kai Havertz will not have hidden in a complicated match.

Red alert at the Blues: have we definitely lost Chelsea?

The X Factor: Mendy’s Mistake

Chelsea had arguably done the hardest part by reducing the scoreline just before the break after passing tornado Benzema. Tuchel’s tactical change was to allow the Blues to get back to where they were and then… the Senegalese chose the worst night to show his limits to the recovery by missing his pass for Rüdiger. Benzema did not ask for so much to score a break goal in striking mimicry with the one scored against Donnarumma in the previous round.

Edouard Mendy tries to make up for his blunder against Karim Benzema, in vain…

Credit: Getty Images

The state: 11

This is a first in the history of French football. By scoring 11 goals in this 2021-2022 Champions League, Karim Benzema has become the French record holder in this area, erasing the mark of Just Fontaine which we thought was eternal (10 goals in 1958-59).

The tweet that can tip the undecided

The declaration: Rio Ferdinand, consultant for BT Sport

I would be surprised if they weren’t already writing Benzema’s name on the Ballon d’Or.

The question: Is Benzema the best player in the world?

He single-handedly eliminated one of the favorites to final victory, at least on paper, in the round of 16. He stunned with his talent a Stamford Bridge not accustomed to so much virtuosity. He is, to date, the top scorer of 2022, ahead of Robert Lewandowski and Kylian Mbappé. He carries with his friends Vinicius and Courtois a not so impressive Real Madrid towards a new coronation in La Liga. Karim Benzema has evoked these “magical nights” inherited from the merengue DNA with each earthquake it causes, it is first and foremost his that deserves the credit.

At 34, he has never seemed so strong, so inhabited by this inner fire capable of setting fire to one of the best defenses in Europe. His goals do not say everything about his influence on the biggest club in the world today. No centre-forward can boast his technique on the move and his sense of the game. No number 9 looks so dominant in the air. No top striker has the flair to offer him goals as gags as they are decisive.

So who is really going to challenge him for the throne? A man perhaps, his friend Kylian Mbappé who gives off the same impression of overpowering each of his outings but who cannot claim a place in the semi-finals almost assured. Basically, it doesn’t matter. The most important thing is there: the best player in the world today is French. Its closest competitor too. How not to think of the World Cup in Qatar with all that?

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