Players.bio is a large online platform sharing the best live coverage of your favourite sports: Football, Golf, Rugby, Cricket, F1, Boxing, NFL, NBA, plus the latest sports news, transfers & scores. Exclusive interviews, fresh photos and videos, breaking news. Stay tuned to know everything you wish about your favorite stars 24/7. Check our daily updates and make sure you don't miss anything about celebrities' lives.

Contacts

  • Owner: SNOWLAND s.r.o.
  • Registration certificate 06691200
  • 16200, Na okraji 381/41, Veleslavín, 162 00 Praha 6
  • Czech Republic

Karim Benzema: Real Madrid 'will do something magical' in second leg of Champions League semifinal

Karim Benzema said Real Madrid «will do something magical» to reach the Champions League final after scoring twice in a thrilling 4-3 defeat to Manchester City in Tuesday's semifinal first leg.

A breathless start at the Etihad stadium saw Kevin De Bruyne and Gabriel Jesus put a dominant City 2-0 up inside 11 minutes, before Benzema gave Madrid hope with a goal before halftime.

— Ogden: City's lapses vs. Madrid may lead to UCL disappointment — Dawson: KDB's fast start, brilliant Benzema, and sloppy mistakes — Don't have ESPN? Get instant access

Phil Foden restored City's two-goal lead, Vinicius Junior scored two minutes later, and Bernardo Silva made it 4-2 before Benzema dispatched an 82nd minute 'Panenka' penalty to keep the tie alive ahead of the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu on May 4.

«A defeat is never good,» Benzema told Movistar. «The most important thing is we never gave up until the end… Now we have to go to the Bernabeu. We'll need the fans like never before. We'll do something magical, which is to win.»

Madrid's Bernabeu stadium has already hosted two dramatic games in these Champions League knockout stages. They overturned a 1-0 first leg loss at Paris Saint-Germain in the round-of-16, Benzema scoring a hat trick in a 3-1 home win.

An extra-time winner from Benzema was required to eliminate Chelsea 5-4 on aggregate in their quarterfinal second leg.

Tuesday's brace means the France forward has now scored 14 Champions League goals this season.

«What can you say about Karim Benzema?» teammate Vinicius Junior said. «He's a great player, he's my brother… Let's hope he can end the season winning LaLiga, winning the Champions League and finish up with the Ballon d'Or.»

Benzema scored his penalty against City

Read more on espn.com