Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema was a single goal away from a hattrick when he scored two as Real Madrid beat Celta Vigo on Saturday afternoon in the Spanish La Liga.

The brace of penalties puts the French striker in a good form as Real Madrid prepares to face Premier League side Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final clash on Wednesday.

Benzema was absent before the international break as Real Madrid was thrashed 4-0 in the El Clasico against Barcelona. He was injured before the derby and subsequently missed France’s double-friendly games during the international break.

However, the striker showed sharpness in front of the goal as they scored two penalties and missed one in Real Madrid’s 2-0 win away at Celta Vigo.

The two goals mean that the forward is ten goals ahead of everyone in the race for the La Liga Golden boot.

Furthermore, he becomes the joint-third highest La Liga goalscorer in Real Madrid’s history alongside Alfredo di Stefano (216), only led by Cristiano Ronaldo (311) in first and Raul (228) in second.

Meanwhile, the result also means Real Madrid is now 12 points ahead of Sevilla in second place. Sevilla played Barcelona on Sunday night and lost to a single goal from Pedri.

Real Madrid’s attention now shifts to Chelsea as the Blues were responsible for the semifinal knockout of Real Madrid in last season’s competition.

In other La Liga games at the weekend, Valencia and Cadiz played a 0-0 draw while Rayo Vallecano and Granada played 2-2.

Real Betis thrashed Osasuna 4-1, and Athletic Club beat Elche 2-1 all on Sunday. On Saturday, Joao Felix and Luis Suarez scored a brace each as Atletico Madrid beat Alaves 4-1. Levante shocked Villarreal 2-0, while Real Mallorca lost away to Getafe.

Meanwhile, FC Barcelona continued their impressive form under Xavi. They defeated Sevilla by a lone goal, which came through Spanish youngster PedrI.

Written by: Daniel Ademiju Idowu