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Karim Benzema made a swift beeline to get his hands on Reece James' shirt following Real Madrid's aggregate Champions League win against Chelsea on Tuesday.

The Spanish giants were expected to reach the semi-finals after winning 3-1 at Stamford Bridge last week, yet they struggled to overcome the Blues in the second leg. Thomas Tuchel's side took a 3-0 lead at the Bernabeu before Rodrygo's 80th-minute equaliser forced the game into extra-time and Benzema scored the winner.

James was gutted with the result but can be proud of his performance, keeping Brazilian winger Vinicius Junior quiet for much of the match. "Great game bro, good luck" wrote Vini Jr on James' Twitter feed on Wednesday, accompanied by the shooting star and flame emojis.

As per Statman Dave on Twitter, James achieved 94 per cent pass accuracy and won seven on his eight duels in the first half. He also won five tackles, successfully completed three long balls and had a 100 per cent take-on rate in the opening 45 minutes.

The respect between Benzema and James is mutual, as the latter shared a picture of them on Wednesday. "A game full of emotions," tweeted James. "We gave everything yesterday. Sometimes in life everything just isn't enough. Thank you for all the support!"

James, 22, is regarded as one of the best young right-backs in European football. He became a