Who was the last Real Madrid player to score a hat trick against Barcelona at Camp Nou?
Karim Benzema becomes second player to score hattrick against Barcelona in Camp Nou
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Karim Benzema made El Clasico history on Wednesday. The star Real Madrid striker scored three goals to power Los Blancos to a 4-0 victory over FC Barcelona in the second leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals at Spotify Camp Nou. Benzema became the first Real Madrid player to net a hat trick in El Clasico since Ivan Zamorano in 1995 and the first to do so at the iconic Barcelona venue since Ferenc Puskas in 1963.
It was Benzema’s second consecutive hat trick after scoring three times against Real Valladolid in La Liga on Sunday. Real Madrid has beaten Barcelona by at least a four-goal margin for the first time since January 1995. The visitors were in scintillating form after enduring a tough time with their rivals who have a better head-to-head record against them winning four of their previous five matches before the Copa del Ray clash.
The Frenchman joins these legends in a feat that even their record goalscorer Cristiano Ronaldo couldn’t achieve. He is undoubtedly one of the best players in Madrid history winning a hoard of trophies during his stint and contributing massively, especially in filling the void left by the iconic Portuguese international since his departure.
Read more: Who has scored the most goals in Real Madrid vs Barcelona El Clasicos?
1. Karim Benzema
Widely regarded as one of the greatest strikers of all time, a creative and prolific forward renowned for his incredible goal-scoring ability, as well as his technical skills, vision, and versatility on the field. He is Real Madrid’s all-time second-highest goalscorer and top assist provider. Benzema has won 24 trophies with Real Madrid, including four La Liga, two Copa del Rey and five UEFA Champions League titles.
He was named in the La Liga Team of the Season for four consecutive years from 2018 to 2022, won La Liga Best Player twice and the Pichichi Trophy for the first time in 2022. Benzema finished as the Champions League top scorer as he won his fifth title in 2022. His latest achievement includes a hattrick in Camp Nou, a feat achieved by the legendary Ferenc Puskas 60 years ago.
The French forward had his best season during the 2021-22 season during which Real Madrid won the treble including the La Liga and Champions League. He scored 44 goals in 46 appearances and went on to win the Ballon d’Or that season. He won the topscorer award in both the competitions.
2. Ferenc Puskas
Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time and the sport’s first international superstar. He won three European Cups, ten national championships and eight top-individual-scoring honors. Known as the “Galloping Major”, in 1995, he was recognized as the greatest top-division scorer of the 20th century by the IFFHS. He is the seventh top goalscorer of all time.
During his first La Liga season, Puskás scored four hat-tricks. Puskás scored two hat-tricks against FC Barcelona in 1963, one at the Bernabéu and one at Camp Nou being the first player to ever achieve the feat. During eight seasons with Real, Puskás played 180 La Liga games and scored 156 goals. He scored 20 or more goals in each of his first six seasons in the Spanish league and won the Pichichi four times.
These are arguably two of the best players in the club’s history. The Frenchman had shown signs of decline due to his age but has hit back at critics showing he’s still got it. Real Madrid faces Villarreal next on Sunday before the UCL clash against Chelsea and subsequently the Copa del Ray final where they face Osasuna on May 6.
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