Madrid, May 13 (BNA): Karim Benzema continues to add his name to Real Madrid’s records, scoring his 323rd goal on Thursday to equalize with Raul Gonzalez as the club’s second top scorer behind Cristiano Ronaldo.
Benzema scored the net in the first half of his team’s 6-0 victory over the last-placed Levante in the Spanish League, with Real Madrid winning the title a few rounds ago.
The result decided Levante’s relegation after five consecutive years in the First Division, according to the Associated Press.
Vinicius Junior, Benzema’s trusted attacking partner all season, scored a hat-trick for Madrid as he continues to prepare for the Champions League final against Liverpool in Paris on May 28, where he will attempt to win a record-expanding 14th European title.
Benzema now trails at 128 of the 451 goals scored by Ronaldo, who played at the club until 2018. Raúl, coach of Madrid’s B-team, played for the club in the 1990s and 2000s.
Benzema’s close-range header in the 19th minute from a cross from Vinicius gave the French striker his 27th league goal, nine better than any other player in the competition this season. He has scored more than a third of Madrid’s 79 goals so far.
It was the 20th goal in the last 15 games in all competitions for Benzema, who has played a key role in the team’s Champions League final, scoring crucial goals in every knockout round of the European Championship – including a hat-trick.
He could have added another goal on Thursday, but he unselfishly sent the ball to Vinicius to net the team’s fifth goal after banishing the goalkeeper inside the area.
Vinicius had scored his first goal in the first half before concluding the scoring in the last minutes of his first hat-trick with Real Madrid. Ferland Mendy and Rodrygo scored their goals before the end of the first half.
Benzema was replaced in the 75th minute along with Luka Modric, who assisted three of Madrid’s goals.
Benzema, Modric, Mendy, Vinicius and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois did not participate in the derby against rivals Atletico Madrid on Sunday, a match Atletico won 1-0 at home.
Atletico Madrid didn’t give a guard of honor to the league champions at the Wanda Metropolitano, but Levante players did on Thursday, lining up in front of the touchline and applauding the Real Madrid players as they entered the pitch at the Santiago Bernabeu.
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