Carlo Ancelotti said Karim Benzema is back in “optimal condition” and still among the world’s best after the forward scored a hat trick to fire Real Madrid into the Copa del Rey final with a 4-0 win over Barcelona.
Vinicius Junior opened the scoring before halftime at Camp Nou and Benzema scored three times in 30 minutes to overturn Barca’s 1-0 first leg lead and book Madrid’s place in the final against Osasuna on May 6.
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It was Benzema’s second hat trick in three days after he also scored three times in Madrid’s 6-0 LaLiga victory over Real Valladolid on Sunday, making it 19 goals in all competitions since the World Cup.
“The work [Benzema] did during the international break helped a lot,” Ancelotti said in his postmatch news conference on Wednesday. “He’s found his optimal condition again, and with the quality he has, the physical condition that supports that quality makes the difference.”
Benzema faced criticism earlier this season after a series of muscular injuries left him struggling to recapture the form that won him the 2022 Ballon d’Or.
“Why not?” Ancelotti said when asked if Benzema, aged 35, stood a chance of retaining the award. “He’s still one of the best players — not forwards, but players — in the world right now, without doubt. When he’s healthy, he makes the difference.”
