Benzema hat-trick gives Real Madrid 3-1 win at Chelsea

A hat-trick by veteran striker Karim Benzema earned Real Madrid an emphatic 3-1 win at reigning European champions Chelsea in their Champions League quarter-final first leg on Wednesday.

Benzema, 34, scored two headed goals in the space of three first-half minutes and then pounced on an error by Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy just after halftime to put the Spaniards in control of the tie before Tuesday’s second leg in Madrid.

Kai Havertz had restored some hope to the Blues when he headed in an angled pass from Jorginho in the 40th minute to make it 2-1.

But Chelsea’s chances of a comeback were undone by Mendy’s mistake in the 46th minute when, outside his box, he tried to pass to Antonio Rudiger only for Benzema to intercept and steer the ball into an empty net for his 37th goal of the season.

Villarreal edge Bayern 1-0 in quarter-final first leg
An electrifying Villarreal beat six times European Cup winners Bayern Munich 1-0 in a frantic Champions League quarter-final first leg tie on Wednesday.

Forward Arnaut Danjuma’s eighth minute strike gave Unai Emery’s side a slender lead for the second leg at the Allianz Arena in Munich next Tuesday.

Villarreal took the game to Bayern and should probably have won by a larger margin given the number of chances created.

The Europa League holders suffocated Julian Nagelsmann’s team when they tried to attack, while proving a constant menace to goalkeeper Manuel Neuer on the counter-attack.