Watch Karim Benzema Score 40th Goal Of The Season On 600th Real Madrid Appearance

Karim Benzema scored his 40th club goal of the season for Real Madrid during the first half of their Champions League semi-final first leg against Manchester City.

Having bagged hat-tricks to knock Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea out in previous rounds, Real desperately needed Benzema to deliver again after City took a 2-0 lead inside 11 minutes.

Deliver he did as the Frenchman found the net with his first shot.

Ferland Mendy swung in a cross from the left and Benzema's movement was too hot for Oleksandr Zinchenko.

Benzema got to the ball before Zinchenko and then guided a shot through the left-back's legs and into Ederson's net.

Benzema is having the most prolific scoring season of his career.

Prior to this campaign, Benzema biggest campaign in terms of club goals came in 2011/12 when he netted 32 times in 52 appearances.

His 40th goal of this season came in only his 41st game.

He scored his 41st of the season later in the game, which City won 4-3.

Benzema is the first player to score 40 goals in a season for Real since Cristiano Ronaldo hit 44 in the 2017/18 campaign.

Ronaldo's best ever scoring season for Real was 2014/15 when he notched 61 goals.

Karim Benzema celebrates his 40th goal of the 2021/22 season for Real Madrid after scoring against Manchester City

IMAGO/Sebastian Frej