How Karim Benzema reminded Man City of their top summer transfer priority

Manchester City dominated the opening stages of their Champions League semi-final with Real Madrid on Tuesday night. After just 11 minutes on the clock, Pep Guardiola's side had established an impressive 2-0 lead.

Everything was going according to plan, until an innocuous cross was delivered into Ederson's penalty box on the 33rd minute. Karim Benzema was on the receiving end of the delivery, yet the Frenchman somehow managed to find the net using his weaker foot.

The 34 year-old turned nothing into something in that moment and, around an hour later, he converted a penalty after opting for the infamous 'Panenka' technique. He is the reason why Madrid still have a chance of progressing ahead of the return leg next week.

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In many ways, Benzema is the perfect example of what Guardiola has operated without for around 18 months in Manchester. The veteran striker is the ultimate no.9, able to contribute to build-up play while scoring every type of goal in the book.

Particularly since Cristiano Ronaldo left the Bernabeu, Benzema has proved to be highly effective finisher of moves. He can turn water into wine — and City aren't the first English team to find that out this season.

Against Chelsea in the last round of the tournament, he scored four goals across the two legs, including a hat-trick at Stamford Bridge and the decisive winner in extra-time during a tense second leg. Even Paris Saint-Germain suffered at the hands of his brilliance. He bagged a hat-trick in 17 minutes against the French champions in the round of 16 last month.

The quality of his finishing is reflected in his Expected Goals (xG) numbers. In La Liga and the