UEFA Best Player: the best player of the Champions League eight-final? Karim Benzema knocks out PSG

The world’s most exclusive club competition, the Champions League, has had a rematch of the eight-finals to determine which chosen team will advance to the last eight. As usual, Ruik.cz, which represents the Czech Republic in the Best Player UEFA poll of the German magazine Kicker, was looking for the best player of this section. French striker Karim Benzema of Real Madrid knocked out the big favourite Paris Saint-Germain with a hat-trick.

Pavel Chaloupka, a participant in the 1982 World Cup in Spain, is the most outstanding personality of the quarter-final rematch. “Karim Benzema!” draws in one breath the executioner of one of the richest clubs in the world and the favourite Paris Saint-Germain.

“To score three goals for such a team, that’s great,” he gushes over the achievement of the native of Lyon, France. “In seventeen minutes,” adds another fine performance from the White Ballet goal scorer.

The midfielder, who shot Bohemians Prague to their only title in 1982/1983, is delighted with Benzema. ” He’s in form like a pig, amazing, now the best striker in Europe,” emphasises Chaloupka.

Erich Brabec, a permanent member of the jury, is of the same opinion. “For a long time it didn’t look like Real could succeed against Paris Saint-Germain before he took it upon himself,” reveals Benzema’s contribution to progression.

“And it’s not just about the goals, he worked constantly for the team, putting the first one almost into an empty net after a mistake by the Italian away goalkeeper, but he battled it out,” he points out Benzema’s unrelenting doggedness. But most of all he appreciates his shooting qualities. “How he hit the third shaytay, perhaps only he can do that,” Brabec discusses the decisive third shot.

The hat-trick was also scored by the Polish canon Robert Lewandowski for Bayern Munich. “The fastest clean hat-trick in the Champions League, that’s worth it,” says Brabec of the 11-minute stretch when Lewandowski made a significant contribution to the 7-1 demolition of Red Bull Salzburg in Austria. “But it is the strength of the opponent that makes Benzema’s achievement stand out,” recalls the former Czech international.

Milan Štěrba, the chief commentator of the Nova Sport television station, which broadcasts the Champions League and devotes extensive space to the competition, also raises his hand for Benzema. “A hero, there was no one more prominent,” he declares firmly.

But more than his three goals, he highlights the decisive turning point in the match. “Benzema, in a situation where few people believed in Real’s progress, won the ball, it was to his credit,” he attests. “He led the whole team to the turnaround, he was the leader,” he recalls.

At the same time, however, he points out that the most praised feats are the shooting ones, while the defensive ones are somewhat forgotten. “For me, the hero of the rematch in the second week was clearly Argentine goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli, who converted at least three chances in the first half at Juventus,” he says. “Without them, Villarreal would not have advanced,” says Sterba convincingly.

The king of the eight-final duels, however, was clearly Benzema.

The jury’s vote

Erich Brabec:: Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)

Pavel Chaloupka:: Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)

Milan Štěrba:: Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)

Source: UEFA