Player Focus – Karim Benzema – UEFA Champions League Final LIVE on beIN SPORTS

With the UEFA Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid at the Stade de France fast approaching, we take a closer look at Real Madrid’s ferociously in-form Frenchman Karim Benzema.

Born on December 19, 1987, to Algerian parents Hafid Benzema and Wahida Djebbara in Lyon, the forward was also eligible to represent the African nation similarly to Zinedine Zidane. He, like his former manager, opted to play for France.

13-time winners Real Madrid take on six-time winners Liverpool in a rematch of the 2017/18 final where Los Blancos came out on top, Benzema scored the opening goal in that clash (where Real Madrid went on to win 3-1) thanks to a wayward throw from Loris Karius. 

This season though, Karim Benzema has enjoyed his most prolific campaign to date. He has hit 44 goals across all competitions and is the leading Champions League goalscorer with 15 strikes. 10 of those goals came during the knockout stages, equaling former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo’s record set in the 2016/17 season. 

The France and Real Madrid goal poacher became the fourth player to score back-to-back Champions League hat-tricks (Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Luiz Adriano the others), with his treble of goals against PSG (Round of 16) and Chelsea (Quarter-final).

Benzema is currently joint-third with Robert Lewandowski on 86 Champions League goals and one goal will see him become the outright third top scorer, behind only Cristiano Ronaldo (140) and Lionel Messi (125).