'%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)
What's the story?
Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema continued his incredible form this season with a phenomenal hat-trick against Athletic Bilbao to take his season tally ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo's at Juventus.
In case you didn't know...
Real Madrid established a thumping 3-0 win over Athletic Bilbao on Sunday to move seven points behind rivals Atletico Madrid in the league table.
Benzema, who scored all three goals, was hailed by Zinedine Zidane as the "best No.9 in the world" following his heroics during the game. The Frenchman said (via Goal), "For me Karim is the best No.9 in the world, although there are many good players, and others might choose someone else."
"What he has been doing here over 10 years means everything. His goals are impressive and I am happy for him. He has confidence in himself, always aims to improve."
"But his team were helping him, with Marco's [Asensio] cross, [Jesus] Vallejo's recovery of the ball to start off the move for the first goal."
The heart of the matter
With the hat-trick, Benzema takes his league tally to 21, which is more than Ronaldo, who has so far netted 19 Serie A goals for Juventus.
This is the first time the Frenchman has scored 21 goals since the 2015-16 season and the third time he has reached the 20-goal milestone in La Liga. Last campaign, he netted only five goals in 31 league appearances for the club.
Benzema also boasts of having scored more headed goals than Ronaldo, with eleven scored in that manner in all competitions this season.
What's next?
Real Madrid, who sit at third place on the table, are next scheduled to face Getafe CF in La Liga on Thursday night. The latter overcame Sevilla with ease over the weekend but remain 10 points behind their upcoming opponents.
