Benzema's hat trick leads Madrid past Auxerre 4-0

Karim Benzema's hat trick sparked Real Madrid to a 4-0 victory over Auxerre on Wednesday to close out its most successful Champions League group campaign.

Benzema headed Cristiano Ronaldo's well-guided pass into the top of goal for a 12th-minute opener that was nine-time champion Madrid's 300th goal in the competition.

Ronaldo capped a quick counterattack with his 21st goal of the season in the 49th.

Benzema then beat Olivier Sorin in the 72nd before the France striker capped his best performance with the Spanish club in the closing stages as he stole the ball from the Auxerre goalkeeper and curled it into the net.

''I don't know if it's my best game with Real Madrid but today I felt a lot better,'' said Benzema, who is making the most of filling in for the injured Gonzalo Higuain.

Madrid, which has won all 11 games at its Santiago Bernabeu stadium this season, finished top of Group G with 16 points after a fifth win in six games going into the knockout stages. AC Milan finished second with eight points after losing 2-0 to Ajax, which was third with seven. French club Auxerre was last with three points.

Madrid coach Jose Mourinho served out a one-game ban for instructing Xabi Alonso and Sergio Ramos to get deliberate red cards in its previous game so they could serve suspensions Wednesday and have a clean slate in the next round. Iker Casillas, Angel Di Maria and Sami Khedira were also left out of the lineup with top spot already secured.

''When the draw came out, the group that called out most of the attention was ours, so the great thing about the team is that it made it look easy,'' stand-in Madrid coach Aitor Karanka said.

Ronaldo was in the starting 11, however, despite the risk of a booking leaving him out of the first-leg knockout round game.

Madrid started well and Ronaldo dribbled free along the left side to pick out Benzema at the far post, and the France striker dived to head the ball into the roof of goal.

Ronaldo should have doubled the lead in the 21st but the Portugal forward guided Pedro Leon's perfect cross wide with Sorin beaten.

Jerzy Dudek - filling in for Casillas - was first tested in the 26th as the Madrid goalie reacted quickly to save Jean-Pascal Mignot's low-flying header.

Auxerre had the better chances to close the first half as Mignot headed a corner over before Dudek tipped Dennis Oliech's shot around the far post in the 43rd.

Dudek was replaced just before halftime with a fractured jaw after colliding with Roy Contout.

Oliech kept Adan alert before Ronaldo scored his fourth of the competition after Marcelo threaded a perfect cross-field pass to him to fire into the top corner.

Benzema, who has begun to show why Madrid paid Lyon ?35 million for him last year, slipped past the defense to meet Lassana Diarra's long pass before curling a left-footed shot under Sorin.

Moments after hitting into the side netting, the Frenchman scored his fourth in Europe thanks to a careless pass by Sorin, who could only look back as Benzema lobbed an angled shot over him into the empty goal.

''Karim deserves this because he's been working very hard,'' Ronaldo said. ''Things hadn't been working out but he answered (the call) very well.''

Madrid goes into the last 16 draw on Dec. 17 as the No. 1 team in its group ahead of AC Milan, while Ajax will play in the Europa League after finishing third.