UPDATED: Benzema hat-trick knocks PSG out of Champions League

Real Madrid and Manchester City have progressed into the 2021/22 UEFA Champions League quarter-final stage despite enjoying contrasting fortunes in their second leg Round of 16 games on Wednesday night.

At the Santiago Bernabeau, Real Madrid needed to overturn the lone goal deficit they suffered in Paris but their night started on a shaky note.

As he was in the first leg, Kylian Mbappe took charge in the Spanish capital again combining well with Neywamr to give PSG the lead in the 39th minute.

The rumoured next Real Galactico whipped the ball past Thibaut Courtois at his near post after getting been fed the ball by Neymar from the halfway line.

Before the breakthrough earlier in the half, VAR had chalked off Mbappe’s first effort, after Nuno Mendes was adjudged offside in the build-up. PSG were supreme in their ball handling in the first half and there were no clues to the imminent collapse suffered in the second half.

In the second half, Madrid woke up from their slumber – in particular Benzema, who carried his team to the quarter-finals. He levelled the score on the night after capitalising on a mistake by PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Vinicius set up Benzema who made no mistake from close range, side-footing a calm finish into the back of the net. That was in the 61st but even at that stage, it looked more like a consolation goal.

The Frenchman made it 2-1 on the night after Luka Modric picked him out with a delightful pass after galloping up the pitch from his own box and 12 seconds after PSG kicked off, the 34-year-old completed his hat-trick moments, netting an outrageous finish with the outside of the boot after another defensive mistake from the usually unflappable Marquinhos.

PSG knocked out after collapsing under pressure has now become a normal narrative for the French side but this ouster will be painful to Lionel Messi, especially as it happened at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Also on Wednesday night, Manchester City confirmed their place in the quarter-finals despite an uninspiring barren draw against Sporting Lisbon at the Etihad.

Guardiola gave a Champions League debut to Conrad Egan-Riley at right-back while Gabriel Jesus led the line-his first minutes since February 26.

The Cityzens were unable to add to their 5-0 lead from the first leg but Pep Guardiola’s side progressed nonetheless.