Tag: Karim Benzema

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KARIM BENZEMA STARS AS REAL MADRID BEATS ALAVES

A double from striker Karim Benzema and goals from Nacho and Vinicius Jr. secured Real Madrid’s first three points of the season after a 4-1 victory against Deportivo Alaves in match day 1 of the Spanish La Liga at the Estadio Mendizorroza.

The game kicked off at a blistering pace and the first dangerous moment fell to the home side after six minutes but Rioja’s effort from the edge of the box was safely dealt with by Courtois. Real Madrid responded 11 minutes later, but Hazard’s whipped effort from outside the area failed to find the target.

About halfway through the opening 45 minutes, Carlo Ancelotti’s men began to really take charge of the encounter, with Benzema looking to make their superiority count in the 32nd minute. He brought down Militão’s long pass superbly and unleashed a fierce effort from the edge of the box which flew just wide.

The second half was a different story altogether, with Real Madrid taking the lead almost immediately.

Lucas Vázquez pulled the ball back on 48’ and Hazard’s sublime back-heeled pass found Benzema, whose first-time volleyed finish from on the penalty spot was equally as impressive.

Eight minutes later, Madrid doubled its lead when Modrić crossed with his left and the sliding Nacho turned the ball in with half-an-hour left to play.

Moments later, Madrid extended its lead when Valverde driving run found Benzema, whose initial effort was blocked by the keeper but the Frenchman fired the rebound into the net.

Alavés refused to be defeated and in the 65th minutes, they reduced the deficit when Joselu converted a penalty after Courtois had brought down Guidetti.

Madrid finished the game in style when Vinicius Jr. produced a diving header from a cross by Alaba on his official Madrid debut to make it 4-1.

Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid hung on to pick up their first three points of the new La Liga campaign. The Italian coach got his second stint in charge of Real Madrid off to the perfect start thanks to a dominant second half performance.

Karim Benzema picked up where he left off at the end of last season, scoring twice in addition to goals from Nacho and Vinicius.

Next up, Real madrid will play Levante at the Ciudad de Valencia stadium on Sunday

Other La Liga results

Cadiz 1-1 Levante

Mallorca 1-1 Real Betis

Deportivo Alaves 1-4 Real Madrid

Osasuna 0-0 Espanyol

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BENZEMA SCORES BRACE AS REAL MADRID BEAT CADIZ

Real Madrid enjoyed a temporary respite from their European Super League humiliation by thrashing Cadiz 3-0 on Wednesday to keep the pressure on Atletico Madrid at the top of LaLiga.

Three goals in 10 minutes towards the end of the first half helped Madrid go top of the table on head-to-head, above Atletico Madrid, who play at home to Huesca on Thursday.

Karim Benzema scored twice and set up another for Alvaro Odriozola to head in at the Ramon de Carranza stadium, where any suggestion Madrid’s players might be destabilised after a hugely controversial few days was dismissed.

Madrid president Florentino Perez was the only owner from the European Super League’s 12 founding clubs to speak publicly about the competition following its remarkable launch on Sunday night.

And despite 10 of the 12 clubs pulling out in the face of anger and opposition from all sides of the game, Real Madrid was still officially part of the breakaway tournament when the players kicked off on Wednesday night.

LaLiga sought to capitalise on the momentum towards reform, with the slogan ‘Earn it! On the pitch’ projected for television viewers across the stand where the virtual fans would usually be.

Cadiz players wore t-shirts in the warm-up that read ‘Super League? Football is for everyone’.

Cadiz, who drop to 13th in the table, are a shining example of what sporting merit looks like, back in the top flight for the first time in 15 years and probably already safe, with nine points between them and the bottom three.

They even beat Real Madrid away from home in October.

But with the trophies in sight, Madrid are a different proposition now, this their 16th game unbeaten and returning the team to winning ways after Sunday’s goalless draw away at Getafe.

Casemiro and Nacho Fernandez were both suspended for that game and Zinedine Zidane welcomed the duo back into a side that remains depleted by injuries, with the 20-year-old Antonio Blanco thrown into Madrid’s midfield.

Benzema, though, led from the front, his pass into Vinicius Junior creating the penalty after Iza dangled out a leg in front of the striker.

Benzema buried the spot-kick into the bottom corner.

The second came three minutes later, Iza at fault again as he gave the ball away under pressure from Marcelo and Benzema crossed to the back post, where Odriozola nodded in.

In the 40th minute, it was three. Casemiro’s pass for Vinicius was cleared but only straight back to the midfielder, who this time chipped the ball up for Benzema to add his second, Madrid’s third.

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KARIM BENZEMA TO FACE TRIAL ON ALLEGED SEX TAPE BLACKMAIL SCANDAL.

Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema will face trial for complicity in an attempt to blackmail in a case linked to a sex tape featuring his former France team-mate Mathieu Valbuena, French prosecutors said.

The public prosecutor’s office in Versailles, France said on Thursday the trial was ordered against the player for complicity in attempting to pressure Valbuena, who was allegedly threatened in a phone call in June 2015, with the publication of the video.

He will stand trial on the charge of conspiracy to attempt blackmail, the prosecutor’s office said. A date for the trial has yet to be set.

The 33-year-old Benzema, one of the most talented French forwards of his generation, has been banned from the national team since November 2015 because of his suspected involvement in the scandal, despite consistently performing well with Spanish giants Real Madrid.

The investigators who charged Benzema believe he was approached by a childhood friend that year to act as an intermediary and convince Valbuena to deal directly with the blackmailers. Instead, Valbuena informed the police.

Four other people will also stand trial in the case. Benzema denies any wrongdoing.

“This decision is as much absurd as it was predictable,” Benzema lawyer, Sylvain Cormier, told The Associated Press news agency, denouncing perceived “persecution” against the player.

When the story broke, Benzema faced a deluge of criticism and then-Prime Minister Manuel Valls said the former Lyon player had “no place” in the national team. Former French President Francois Hollande was quoted as saying in a book that Benzema was not an example of morality.

Neither Benzema nor Valbuena was selected by coach Didier Deschamps for the Euro 2016 finals on home soil in which France were beaten in the final by Portugal.

Benzema has not played for France since scoring twice in a 4-0 win over Armenia in October 2015, taking his tally to 27 goals in 81 internationals.