'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Real Madrid made a stunning comeback against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) on Wednesday in the Champions League Round of 16. With 2-0 down on aggregate over one-and-a-half legs, Los Blancos won the tie courtesy of a second-half Karim Benzema hat-trick.
The likes of Benzema, Vinicius Jr. and Luka Modric were brilliant on the night for Madrid. However, they were helped by individual errors from PSG defenders and goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
The Italian failed to clear the ball under pressure from Benzema which led to Madrid's first goal in the 61st minute. Benzema was then assisted by Modric for his second in the 76th minute. Two minutes later, the Frenchman pounced on another mistake to complete his hat-trick when Marquinhos tried to pass the ball in his own box.
Former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry criticized the defender on CBS Sports, saying:
"It's pretty obvious that Marquinhos has these type of mistakes, he did it a lot in the game. Instead of clearing the ball he tried to play and pass the ball to Kimpembe, but Benzema was alert and arrived there before him!"
Real Madrid join Liverpool, Manchester City and Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, with the remaining Round of 16 fixtures to be played next week.
PSG's loss to Real Madrid can have big implications for both sides
PSG's exit from the Champions League this season could see the exit of a few personnel from the club as well.
The first of them could be manager Mauricio Pochettino. There have been speculations of the Argentine moving away in the summer, with Manchester United keen on signing him. However, there were expectations for him to stay if he could help PSG win the Champions League this time around. It will be interesting to see how his situation pans out in the summer.
Next in line is forward Kylian Mbappe. The Frenchman has been linked with a move to Real Madrid since last summer. The Spanish club even made multiple bids for Mbappe, going up to around £160 million, but were denied by the Parisian club.
After the loss, many reports have claimed that the Frenchman is set to leave PSG. Whether he will join Los Blancos is yet to be seen as Liverpool are also rumored to be monitoring his situation.
Meanwhile, after the first leg defeat and the lack of attacking intent from Madrid in Paris, speculation arose about manager Carlo Ancelotti's future at the Spanish giants. However, this win will certainly cool down those rumors at least until the end of the season.
Needless to say, Real Madrid's win was a big result in European football, not just on the pitch but off it as well.
