Carlo Ancelotti is as impressed by Karim Benzema s leadership and personality as his outstanding goalscoring exploits after another dominant Champions League display.
Benzema became the fourth player in Champions League history to score a hat-trick in consecutive performances on Wednesday.
The France forward netted all three Real Madrid goals in their 3-1 win at Chelsea in the first leg of their quarter-final, having also hit a treble against Paris Saint-Germain in the last-16 second leg.
This was the first hat-trick against Chelsea in any European competition and moved Benzema to 11 goals for the campaign – the most by any Frenchman in the European Cup or Champions League in a single season.
Benzema has 37 goals across all competitions in 2021-22, but the two headers that gave Madrid a two-goal lead at Stamford Bridge have to count among his best.
Now 34, Benzema has never scored more in a season – 32 in 2011-12 was his previous best – but head coach Ancelotti sought to highlight how important he is to the team in other ways. The striker wore the captain s armband in the absence of Marcelo on Wednesday.
Karim improves every day like a fine wine, said Ancelotti, who returned to the touchline after testing negative for coronavirus.
He s more and more of a leader in the team, in the group, and I think that s the biggest difference. He shows his personality more, he knows that he is very important to us and he is an example for all.
This was a fourth consecutive win in matches against reigning European champions for Madrid, but Ancelotti warned against complacency heading into the second leg in Spain.
The team played very well, it was a very good performance. We were brave, we showed personality, he said. But we are only at half-time in the tie.
We ll want to have the same approach when we come back, but you never know how it s going to go.
Obviously, we have the advantage, but the tie is still open. Without the away goal rule, it s an advantage for Chelsea.
I think we played better than them on the night, but there is still one game and anything can happen.
