PSG vs. Real Madrid 2022: Benzema's 17-minute comeback

On March 9, 2022, in the 60th minute of the Real Madrid vs. PSG match at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, PSG led 1-0 thanks to a first-half goal by Kylian Mbappé. Combined with their 1-0 victory in the first leg at Parc des Princes, Paris was cruising toward the quarterfinals with a comfortable 2-0 aggregate lead. Seventeen minutes later, the score would be 3-1 in favor of Real, their elimination sealed and the Parisian attack in shambles. A lightning-fast hat trick by Karim Benzema—soccer in all its cruelty.

This article looks back at the two-legged PSG-Real Madrid clash in 2022, one of the most devastating nights in the Parisian club’s recent history. From the controlled first leg at the Parc des Princes to the nightmare second leg at the Bernabéu, including the decisive moments of Benzema’s hat trick, we revisit a Round of 16 tie that marked a turning point in the Qatari-backed project.

The situation leading up to the Round of 16 draw

Winter 2021–22. PSG has just assembled the world’s most star-studded attack with the signing of Lionel Messi on August 10, 2021, joining Neymar and Kylian Mbappé. The MNM project, detailed in our article on Neymar, Mbappé, and Messi at PSG, is finally set to deliver the club its first-ever Champions League title.

The draw for the Round of 16 pits Real Madrid—a club that had won 13 European Cups at the time, managed by Carlo Ancelotti and led by Karim Benzema—against PSG. Mbappé’s contract with PSG is set to expire, and he is being heavily courted by Real Madrid. This two-legged tie has a special significance: it is also a showdown over his future.

Real Madrid heads into the match in weakened form: Sergio Ramos is now in Paris, and several key defenders are injured or out of form. PSG is the favorite, especially following Messi’s recent signing. The European press is unanimously predicting a Paris victory.

February 15, 2022: PSG wins at the Parc

The first leg will be played at the Parc des Princes on February 15, 2022. PSG dominated the match without really scoring for 89 minutes. Messi even had a penalty saved by Thibaut Courtois in the second half, in a moment that would later prove to be of considerable significance. Real held on, playing at half-speed, as they looked forward to the return leg at home.

In the 90th minute plus 4 seconds, during stoppage time, Mbappé beat two defenders and scored to send the Parc into jubilation. 1-0. PSG came away with a narrow but valuable victory and a psychological edge. At the Madrid airport a few hours later, Parisian and Madrid fans crossed paths amid a tense atmosphere: everything is still to be decided in the second leg.

March 9, 2022: Mbappé silences the Bernabéu

The second leg took place three weeks later, on March 9, 2022, at the Santiago Bernabéu, in front of a sold-out crowd. Things started perfectly for PSG. In the 39th minute, Kylian Mbappé finished off a textbook move to open the scoring. 1-0 for Paris at the Bernabéu, 2-0 on aggregate. PSG advanced to the quarterfinals.

Throughout the first half and the early stages of the second, PSG were in complete control. Real Madrid created almost nothing. Mbappé pressed forward again and scored a second goal in the 52nd minute, but it was ruled offside following a video review. By the 60th minute, Paris still led 2-0 on aggregate, and no one in the stadium could see how the Madrid side could possibly come back.

Benzema's hat trick in 17 minutes

61st minute. Karim Benzema capitalizes on a turnover by Gianluigi Donnarumma, who was under pressure from Vinícius, to slot the ball into the empty net. With the aggregate score tied at 1-1, the away goal means PSG still advances (the away goals rule was abolished starting that season, but PSG still leads 2-1 on aggregate).

76th minute. Vinícius crosses the ball, Benzema heads it past Donnarumma. 2-1 in the match, 2-1 on aggregate; Real Madrid level the aggregate score and take the lead on away goals under the new rule.

78th minute. Modrić sets up Benzema in the box; he fires a shot across goal for the third goal. 3-1 in the match, 3-2 on aggregate. PSG is eliminated. Three goals in 17 minutes—a hat trick that will go down as one of the greatest individual performances of the decade in European competition.

Analysis of the switch

Several factors account for this turnaround. Donnarumma’s turnover on the first goal opened up the match, as the Italian goalkeeper was pushed by Vinícius. PSG, taken aback, retreated into their own half instead of continuing to press high up the field. Real sensed the opening and exploited it with an intensity that the Parisians were unable to contain.

Mauricio Pochettino’s tactical approach is also coming under scrutiny in hindsight. Messi’s substitution in the 75th minute—at a time when the team needed to retain possession—has been the subject of particular debate. The Parisian defense, lacking a true leader with Sergio Ramos on the bench, crumbled under three individual plays by Benzema combined with crosses from Vinícius.

But the key factor remains Madrid’s experience in European competition. Real Madrid has already staged countless European comebacks: against Wolfsburg in 2016, against Juventus in 2018, and against Atlético in 2017. This club knows how to handle late-game comebacks like almost no other. For context, read our article on Real Madrid’s Champions League treble.

The implications for PSG

The elimination triggered a major crisis. At the Parc, the following matches were marked by boos directed at Messi and Neymar, with the two stars being singled out as the main culprits. The Ligue 1 title was won at the end of the season without much fanfare. Mauricio Pochettino was fired in the summer of 2022 and replaced by Christophe Galtier.

From a sporting perspective, the March 2022 elimination marked the beginning of the end for the MNM project. Mbappé extended his contract in May 2022 rather than signing with Real Madrid, but the prospect of losing him two years later was now a reality. The club begins to plan for the post-MNM era, which will culminate in the 2025 European title, as detailed in our article on PSG’s first Champions League victory.

Real Madrid's next match: 14th Champions League

After that comeback, Real Madrid kept the momentum going. They knocked Chelsea out in the quarterfinals in another dramatic match, then eliminated Manchester City in the semifinals following yet another incredible turnaround at the Bernabéu (a 3-1 win in stoppage time to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first leg in Madrid). In the final in Paris on May 28, 2022, they beat Liverpool 1-0 on a goal by Vinícius.

Karim Benzema finished as the tournament’s top scorer with 15 goals, including the famous three he scored against Paris. He was named the 2022 Ballon d’Or winner a few months later, largely thanks to that European campaign. His hat trick from the 61st to the 78th minute at the Bernabéu is widely regarded as the defining moment of that individual accolade.

Key Takeaways

• First leg on February 15, 2022: PSG defeated Real Madrid 1-0 at the Parc des Princes (goal by Mbappé in the 90th+4 minute).
• The second leg on March 9, 2022, at the Bernabéu: Mbappé opened the scoring again in the 39th minute (2-0 on aggregate).
• Karim Benzema scored a quick hat trick in the 61st, 76th, and 78th minutes to turn the two-legged tie around, winning 3-1 (3-2 on aggregate).
• A turnover by Gianluigi Donnarumma, who was pressured by Vinícius, set the turnaround in motion.
• Mauricio Pochettino was fired in the summer of 2022 and replaced by Christophe Galtier.
• Real Madrid went on to win the Champions League, defeating Liverpool 1–0 in the final in Paris on May 28, 2022.
• Karim Benzema has been named the 2022 Ballon d'Or winner, largely thanks to his hat trick against PSG.

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