Real Madrid on Tuesday night defeated Atalanta 4-1 on aggregate to reach the UEFA Champions League Quarter Finals for the 36th time and for the first time in 3 years.
Striker Karim Benzema opened the scoring on the night as he netted his 70th UCL goal. The Frenchman is now 5th on the list of all-time top UCL goal scorers behind Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski and Raul. Karim Benzema also equalled Raul and Messi's record of scoring for the 17th consecutive calendar year in the UCL. Another interesting fact is that none of Benzema's goals have been from the penalty spot. Which cannot be said for any other players in the list of All-Time UCL top scorers.
Karim Benzema's first UCL goal came in 2005 for Lyon. For most of his Real Madrid career, the Striker played a secondary role while Cristiano Ronaldo was the main forward. Since the departure of Ronaldo Benzema has been the talisman, having scored the majority of Real Madrid's goals.
At the age of 33, Karim Benzema is still at the top of his game. The striker finished as the 2nd top goalscorer in La Liga only behind Leo Messi last season. Benzema still has another season on his current Real Madrid contract and has publicly stated his desire to renew it and finish his career at Real Madrid.
