Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema scored a penalty kick that helped his team secure a 1-1 draw against Bilbao in the last round of La Liga. The equalizer came in the 71st minute when referee called a foul on Yuri Berchiche, who jumped up to contest for the ball with Eder Militao in the penalty area. Benzema made no mistake from the spot, scoring his 354th goal for Real Madrid, which is second only to Cristiano Ronaldo (450 goals) in the club’s history. This was followed by confirmation of the termination of Benzema’s contract, a year before its expiry date. Rumors suggest that the 2022 Golden Ball winner is preparing to move to Saudi Arabia to continue his football career. Benzema left the field immediately after his goal to a round of applause from the Bernabeu audience. His teammates praised him after the game.
On the evening of June 4, Benzema bid farewell to Real Madrid as he played his last game, which ended in a draw with Bilbao. Real’s Marco Asensio also played his last match and may join PSG as an alternative to Lionel Messi. Bilbao dominated the game and threatened Real’s goal multiple times, scoring in the 49th minute. However, Benzema’s equalizer left Bilbao disappointed. Bilbao finished eighth in La Liga with 51 points, while Osasuna secured seventh place with 53 points and a 2-1 victory over Girona, earning them a ticket to the Conference League.
On the evening of June 4th, many players on Real praised Benzema after the match. However, despite their efforts, Real finished in second place with a total of 78 points, just one point ahead of Atletico. Barcelona took the lead with 88 points. Looking ahead to next season, La Liga will be represented by Barcelona, Real, Atletico, Sociedad, and Sevilla in the Champions League, while Villarreal and Betis will be participating in the Europa League. Unfortunately, Valladolid, Espanyol, and Elche will be relegated to a lower league.
