Karim Benzama of Real Madrid reacts after scoring during the UEFA Champions League Round Of Sixteen Leg Two match between Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on March 09, 2022 in Madrid, Spain. Image credit: Getty Images
Karim Benzama of Real Madrid reacts after scoring during the UEFA Champions League Round Of Sixteen Leg Two match between Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on March 09, 2022 in Madrid, Spain. Image credit: Getty Images

Karim Benzema’s second-half hat-trick turned the tie against Paris St-Germain on its head in one of the most remarkable knock-out games in the history of the Champions League.

PSG were a class above in the first half, with Kylian Mbappe scoring once and he could easily have had another but for a marginal offside.

With a two-goal lead on aggregate the tie looked dead, but then a horrendous error from Gianluigi Donnarumma allowed Vinicius to square for the number nine’s first goal.

In the 77th minute he equalised with a shot slightly deflected off Marquinhos after a fine through ball from Modric and then, remarkably, straight from the kick-off PSG gave the ball away and Marquinhos’ tackle on Vinicius Jr fell straight to the French striker who fired home first time.