November 03, (THEWILL) – With a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Shakhtar Donestk, two-goal hero Karim Benzema made Champions League history as Real Madrid moved closer to the last-16.
As Carlo Ancelotti’s side surged into a 14th-minute lead, minutes after Alan Patrick struck the post for Shakhtar, the Frenchman broke the deadlock to register Los Blancos’ 1,000th goal in Europe’s top tournament, making them the first team to do so.
The visitors pressed hard and Fernando should have scored when he was put through on goal, but he somehow managed to scuff his shot wide.
Real Madrid, on the other hand, did not heed the warning, and Alan Patrick chested a raking pass over the top into the path of Fernando, who rifled a powerful effort past the hapless Thibaut Courtois for his first-ever Champions League goal nine minutes before halftime.
Fernando would have scored a hat-trick in the first half after being passed through behind the defence on the stroke of half-time, but Courtois denied him the opportunity.
After the break, Ancelotti’s men tightened up their defense, and Benzema completed a sweeping team play to regain their advantage just after the hour mark.
It was undeserved, but it was decisive as Real Madrid climbed to the top of the pool, at least temporarily, with erstwhile leaders Sheriff Tiraspol and Inter Milan meeting later on Wednesday. With only one point, Shakhtar remains at the bottom of the table.
In the end, a merciless Benzema display managed to cover the flaws at Real Madrid. Because of the Frenchman’s eye for a goal, a subpar and passive team performance was not punished.
Los Blancos’ defence was all over the place at times, and Casemiro – making his 300th appearance for the club – and Toni Kross in midfield were periodically overwhelmed by their tenacious opponents.
The Spanish giants still got away with the historic victory. They are now in first place and are looking forward to inflicting vengeance on the group’s surprise packages Sheriff on November 24, when they might potentially cement their spot in the competition’s further stages.
The job is nearly complete for the Spanish giants in this stage but, as this game against Shakhtar demonstrated, there is a need for quick improvement.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
