Benzema still reigns in Madrid after spoiling Mbappé party
By JOSEPH WILSON
Associated Press
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — There was a time when Karim Benzema was jeered by Real Madrid fans for not being a player who rose to the challenge. Nobody can ever again doubt the France striker after he etched his name into the club’s long Champions League lore. Benzema scored a hat trick in just 18 minutes on Wednesday night to oust a stunned Paris Saint-Germain and keep the Spanish club in contention for both the European Cup and Spanish league title. Next up for Madrid is a visit to Mallorca on Monday in the domestic competition.