Karim Benzema became Real Madrid’s joint second-highest goalscorer of all time as Real Madrid thrashed and relegated Levente 6-0. Brazilian star Vinicius Junior scored a hat-trick in the game as well. 34-year-old Karim Benzema netted a first-half header from Vinicius’ pass to match Raul’s 323 goals, with only Cristiano Ronaldo (450) scoring more goals in the club than him.
Karim Benzema Equals Raul’s Record in Real Madrid
Left-back Mendy scored after only 13 minutes, bursting into the box and shooting past goalkeeper Dani Cardenas before Benzema doubled the lead six minutes later. Rodrygo and Vinicius added the third and fourth. Vinicius then scored twice more in the second half to seal the rout. Carlo Ancelotti’s Real, who face Liverpool in the Champions League final in Paris on Saturday, 28 May, clinched their 35th Spanish title at the end of April with four games to spare and ran riot against bottom-of-the-table Levante.
Luka Modric provided three assists in the game to become the first Real player since James Rodriguez in 2015 to contribute three assists in a La Liga match. Levante needed to win at the Bernabeu and then again in both their last two matches to have any chance of avoiding relegation, but conceded a fifth in the 68th minute.
Karim Benzema and Modric, both superb throughout, received a rapturous reception when they were substituted with one of the men to have come on, Luka Jovic, setting up Vinicius as the 21-year-old Brazil winger completed his first Real hat-trick. It was Vinicius’ first hat-trick for Real Madrid in his 168th appearance in all competitions for the club.
The Brazilian said the coach asked him if he wanted to remain in the game and he said yes to complete his hat-trick. He said: “It’s my first hat-trick and the teammates have helped me so much and I’m just very, very happy.”
