On Sunday, Karim Benzema bid farewell to Real Madrid after a 14-year stint with the club. He ended his time with the team on a high note by scoring a penalty in their 1-1 draw against Athletic Bilbao during the LaLiga season’s final night. The French striker’s departure from the Bernabeu this summer was confirmed on the same day. Despite the emotional scenes that followed his goal, Benzema was subbed off two minutes later to a rousing standing ovation. He is set to move to Saudi Arabia. Although he scored his 31st goal of the season, Real’s draw saw them slip below Atletico Madrid, finishing third in the table. Bilbao took the lead four minutes into the second half through Oihan Sancet after Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois saved an earlier penalty from Mikel Vesga.
In his final match for Real Madrid, Karim Benzema was seen celebrating after successfully converting a penalty.
The spectators at Bernabeu bid a perfect goodbye to the French forward during his last performance.
Real Madrid’s Benzema was sent off with a celebratory lift from his teammates during his last game with the club.
Benzema brings himself alongside his fellow players to show his appreciation to the audience at Bernabeu in his final performance.
Karim Benzema made sure his last performance included a goal by confidently scoring his penalty.
After a short while, the people at Bernabeu gave him a round of applause as he exited the field.
At the Bernabeu, Luka Modric replaced Benzema with 16 minutes remaining and shared a warm embrace with him. Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy led Europe to victory over the “cheat” Americans at the Ryder Cup. Real Madrid finished second in the LaLiga table, as a late Villarreal equaliser denied Atletico Madrid the runners-up spot behind Barcelona. Despite Courtois saving Vesga’s penalty early on, Bilbao took the lead in the 49th minute through Sancet. Real equalised in the 72nd minute after Militao took an elbow to the face from Berchiche, prompting Benzema to calmly slot home the spot-kick and receive a standing ovation from the fans. Real held onto second place, as Atletico Madrid were held 2-2 at Villarreal following Jorge Pascual’s 92nd-minute equaliser. Benzema’s departure to Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad was confirmed before kick-off, with an official statement describing him as a fundamental player and one of the club’s greatest legends. Finally, Osasuna secured a spot in the Europa Conference League by beating Girona 2-1 to finish seventh, two points above Bilbao.
On Sunday evening, Karim Benzema was seen fighting for the ball against Aitor Paredes of Athletic Bilbao.
The Santiago Bernabeu fans expressed their gratitude for the club’s beloved icon, Benzema.
News has emerged that French striker Benzema will be leaving Real Madrid after a 14-year stint with the club. The announcement came just before their final LaLiga fixture of the season. In tribute to their departing captain, Real Madrid are planning a farewell event in the city on Tuesday. Benzema is set to join Al-Ittihad on a two-year deal worth a staggering £345million, following their victory in the Saudi Pro League title. Despite struggling initially to hold down a place in the star-studded starting XI, Benzema went on to become an integral part of Real Madrid’s dominance throughout the 2010s and beyond. He made over 600 appearances for the club, becoming their second-highest goalscorer of all time behind Cristiano Ronaldo. In the 2021-22 season, Benzema scored a career-best 44 goals in 46 games and became the oldest Ballon d’Or winner since Stanley Matthews. Although injuries curtailed his most recent campaign, he still managed to score 18 La Liga goals in 23 games under Carlo Ancelotti’s management. Benzema’s presence was also felt in the Copa del Rey, where he scored a hat-trick and notched an assist against Barcelona in the semi-finals before playing 90 minutes in the final win over Osasuna.
In the 49th minute of the game, Oihan Sancet made an epic score that gave Athletic Bilbao an advantage. The celebration was filled with excitement and joy as the team cheered on their teammate for the remarkable achievement.
Real Madrid’s defensive line was surprised and unprepared right after halftime when Sancet scored a goal that put Athletic Bilbao in the lead.
Mikel Vesga from Bilbao missed an opportunity to score an early goal when his penalty kick was saved by Real Madrid goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois.
Vinicius Junior, the talented Real Madrid striker, expressed disappointment over a missed chance in the recent game on Sunday night. Meanwhile, Karim Benzema managed to score a crucial penalty in what could be his final match for Real Madrid. Feel free to share your thoughts or reactions to this exciting development.
