Karim Benzema scores a penalty in final Real Madrid game

Karim Benzema ended his 14 years with Real Madrid on a high after scoring a penalty in their 1-1 draw against Athletic Bilbao on the final night of the LaLiga season.

The French striker confirmed on Sunday that he will be leaving the Bernabeu this summer and the Real legend duly scored his 354th goal for the club amid emotional scenes.

Two minutes later, he received a rousing standing ovation as he prepared to move to Saudi Arabia.

Despite Benzema scoring his 31st of the season, the draw saw them slip below rivals Atletico Madrid to finish third in the table.

Oihan Sancet put Bilbao ahead four minutes after the break after Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois saved an earlier penalty from Mikel Vesga.

The French striker was given a fitting farewell to the Bernabeu crowd during his final appearance

Benzema is lifted into the air by his Real teammates after his last appearance for the club

Karim Benzema shoots in his penalty kick and ensures that his last appearance contains a goal

Two minutes later, he received a standing ovation from the Bernabeu crowd upon takeoff

Luka Modric embraces Benzema after replacing him 16 minutes from time at the Bernabeu

Real finished second in the LaLiga table after a late Villarreal equalizer stripped their rivals Atletico Madrid of second place behind Barcelona.

The news that Benzema is leaving Real Madrid after 14 years to sign for Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad was confirmed ahead of kick-off.

An official statement described the striker as a “fundamental player in this golden age of our history” and as one of the club’s “greatest legends”.

Real are set to pay tribute and farewell to their club captain in town on Tuesday before he signs a £345 million two-year contract with the Jeddah-based club.

Karim Benzema will compete for the ball with Aitor Paredes of Athletic Bilbao on Sunday evening

There was appreciation for club legend Benzema in the stands of the Santiago Bernabeu

News of French striker Benzema leaving the club after 14 years broke ahead of the final LaLiga game of the season

Al-Ittihad just won the Saudi Pro League title, finishing five points ahead of Al-Nassr, whose squad includes Benzema’s former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo.

Benzema has made over 600 appearances in all competitions for Los Blancos and is the club’s second-highest goalscorer of all time, behind only former teammate Ronaldo.

Then Madrid manager Manuel Pellegrini brought Benzema to the Bernabeu in a £30 million deal in 2009 after enjoying a fruitful pair of campaigns in Ligue 1 with Lyon.

The teenager initially struggled to hold onto a spot in the team’s star-studded starting eleven, but eventually became an integral part of Real Madrid’s dominance throughout the 2010s and beyond, winning every piece of silverware available to him .

After scoring a league-best 44 goals in 46 games in the 2021-2022 season, Benzema became the oldest Ballon d’Or winner since Stanley Matthews. .

Although the veteran striker’s most recent campaign was cut short by injuries, he still scored 18 La Liga goals in 23 appearances for Carlo Ancelotti’s with the club currently second in the league.

The skipper’s presence was also felt in the Copa del Rey, where he scored a hat-trick and provided an assist against Barcelona in the semi-final second leg in a 4-0 win to erase a 1-0 deficit, before Played 90 minutes. in the eventual victory over Osasuna.

Oihan Sancet celebrates scoring the goal that gave Athletic Bilbao a 49th minute lead

Real’s defense went cold just after the break when Sancet put Bilbao ahead

Bilbao’s Mikel Vesga saw an early penalty saved by Real Madrid keeper Thibaut Courtois

Real Madrid striker Vinicius Junior is disappointed with a missed opportunity during Sunday evening’s game