Madrid, May 13: Karim Benzema continues to add his name to Real Madrid’s record books, scoring his 323rd goal to draw level with Raúl González as the club’s second-highest scorer behind Cristiano Ronaldo.
Benzema netted in the first half of the team’s 6-0 rout of last-place Levante in the Spanish league on Thursday, with Madrid having secured the title a few rounds ago.
The result sealed Levante’s relegation after five consecutive years in the first division.
Vinícius Júnior, Benzema’s trusted attacking partner all season, scored a hat trick for Madrid as it continues to prepare for the Champions League final against Liverpool in Paris on May 28, when it will try to win a record-extending 14th European title.
Benzema is now 128 goals shy of the 451 scored by Ronaldo, who played at the club until 2018. Raúl, the coach of Madrid’s “B” squad, played for the club in the 1990s and 2000s.
Benzema was replaced in the 75th minute along with Luka Modric, who set up three of Real Madrid’s goals.
Benzema, Modric, Mendy, Vinícius and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois had not started in the league derby against city rival Atlético Madrid on Sunday, a game Atlético won 1-0 at home.
Valencia-based Levante was in the first division in 14 of the last 18 seasons.
“Unfortunately we were not up to the task this season,” Levante captain José Luis Morales said, amid tears.
“We have to apologise and try to put this club back where it deserves next season.”
Sociedad in Europe
Real Sociedad defeated Cádiz 3-0 to guarantee a place in a European competition for the third straight season.
Alexander Sorloth, Adnan Januzaj and Portu scored a goal each for the Basque Country club, which will play in either the second-tier Europa League of the third-tier Conference League.
Sociedad is in sixth place, two points behind Real Betis and three points ahead of Villarreal. Betis has already secured a Europa League place by winning the Copa del Rey, so the second Spanish berth in the competition will go to either Sociedad, Villarreal or Athletic Bilbao.
The victory ended Sociedad’s four-game winless streak in the league.
Cádiz, which was looking for its second win in a row, saw its chances of escaping relegation diminish with the away defeat. It will go into the final two rounds two points outside the relegation zone.
Villarreal thrash
Rayo Vallecano
Villarreal moved closer to guaranteeing its own European spot with a 5-1 rout at Rayo Vallecano.
Alfonso Pedraza scored twice and Juan Foyth, Paco Alcácer and Pau Torres added a goal each for Villarreal, which was eliminated by Liverpool in the Champions League semifinals this season.
Villarreal is four points in front of Athletic, which lost 1-0 at Granada on Tuesday. (AP)
