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[365footballorg-blog]

Why pressure is on 'over-rated' Benzema after Ronaldo's Real exit

“Decent but not great” and “a tad over-rated”.

That was Gary Lineker’s verdict on Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema last October. And, although the former England captain’s tweet – along with Benzema’s angry response (“I’m embarrassed for him”) – generated plenty of controversy, it was difficult to argue against Lineker’s opinion.

Benzema was in distinctly underwhelming form, going through a run of one goal in 10 games. That drought lasted pretty much the whole season, which saw Benzema register a paltry tally of five league goals in 32 appearances.

Increasingly, Lineker’s views were echoed by Real fans, with Benzema regularly subjected to jeers and whistles.

When the end of the season was followed by the departure of coach Zinedine Zidane, who had always been regarded as a zealous protector of his fellow Frenchman, Benzema’s future was looking doubtful.

But the transfer window provided a double shock. Not only did Real fail to make a high-profile addition to their forward line despite being linked with Eden Hazard, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar among others, but they also waved goodbye to the iconic Cristiano Ronaldo.

So Benzema was handed a reprieve, and another opportunity to prove himself worthy of a secure starting spot for the European champions. Can he take that chance? Does he even deserve it?

Saturday’s Madrid derby against in-form Atletico (19:45 BST at the Bernabeu) could provide a big clue to the question of whether the next few months will see Benzema become triumphantly rejuvenated or remain an enigmatic underachiever.

More than just a scorer

The first point which must be made in Benzema’s defence is that he has never been the kind of forward who can be judged by goals alone.

Perhaps more than any other top-level striker, Benzema’s greatest asset is his ability to knit his team together. With a velvet-smooth first touch and a clever, creative range of passing, he adds a huge amount by dropping deep into midfield, often playing as a false nine to selflessly serve his team-mates rather than going for glory himself.

Those qualities made him the perfect foil for Ronaldo, who greatly benefitted from Benzema’s ability to create space for others and gratefully received many of his astute assists (Benzema supplied 10 last season, fourth highest in La Liga).

Benzema’s attributes allowed him to retain his place as an unquestioned starter throughout the reigns of Zidane and Carlo Ancelotti, based on the reasoning that even if he was not scoring goals himself, his approach play and game awareness allowed others to do so – especially Ronaldo.

Zidane has defended that position even since his departure from the Bernabeu, arguing in a recent interview: “Karim was important for the balance of the side. He helped to implement our possession game, makes himself available and is a real team player.”

So Benzema’s name might not sit at the top of the scoring charts, but his unselfish team ethic means he remains highly valued by coaches and colleagues.

Fast start, recent slump

Despite the allowances made for Benzema’s sporadic goalscoring because of his ability to improve the team by linking play, it remains inevitable – especially in the wake of Ronaldo’s departure – that the man wearing the number nine shirt at Real Madrid is expected to weigh in with his fair share of goals.

Having failed to fulfil that obligation over the past 18 months, the new campaign started in a more promising fashion as Benzema netted twice apiece in victories over Girona and Leganes, meaning he had nearly equalled his total for the whole of the previous season by the start of September.

It appeared he was poised to become the biggest personal winner from Ronaldo’s shock departure. The absence of the player around whom everything revolved, along with the patient possession-based passing game favoured by new coach Julen Lopetegui, was allowing Benzema to become something he had never been: a focal point of Real’s attack.

He was not only scoring goals, but also playing a more central part in the team’s build-up play, evidenced by his tallies of 46 and 38 passes respectively in those wins over Girona and Leganes – a major increase on his historical average in the mid-20s.

But it did not last, and the past couple of weeks have seen a dramatic regression. Benzema has not mustered a single shot on target in any of Real’s past four games, and he was substituted around the hour mark in the past three.

His lack of influence during Wednesday’s 3-0 capitulation against Sevilla (no shots on target, no chances created) was especially concerning, and the fact Lopetegui was willing to replace the striker even when his team desperately needed goals is a telling indication that Benzema will not be quite so protected in the post-Zidane era.

Benzema this season (average per game) First three games Past four games Goals 1.33 0 Shots 2.67 1.5 Shots on target 1.66 0 Chances created 1.33 1 Passes 39 24.5

Is Mariano ready to step up?

Real’s lack of activity in the transfer market means the only direct potential replacement for Benzema is the relatively unknown figure of Mariano Diaz.

The Barcelona-born 25-year-old came through Real’s youth ranks and made a handful of first-team appearances, but was sold to Lyon in 2017.

However, Mariano netted 21 goals for the French club last season to entice Real to re-sign him in the summer, and now he is pushing hard for a starting spot.

Although his playing time has been limited, Mariano showed his capabilities by coming off the bench to net a brilliant late goal in the Champions League win over Roma.

He was also bright as a substitute for Benzema at Sevilla, showing far more menace and intent than the man he replaced. Lopetegui must be considering him from the start against Atletico.

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Elsewhere in attack, there is no doubting the identity of Real’s best player so far this season: Gareth Bale.

The Wales star was the only player to emerge from the debacle at Sevilla with any credit, carrying his team’s attack almost single-handedly in the first half and almost reducing the deficit with a fierce drive against the post.

Bale has four goals and two assists in the current campaign and is the only forward whose place is guaranteed for this weekend’s derby.

With Isco ruled out with appendicitis, another likely starter is Marco Asensio. The versatile young winger became the nation’s golden boy with a stunning display (one goal and four assists) in Spain’s mightily impressive 6-0 victory over Croatia this month.

But Asensio’s club performances have fallen well short of those standards, recording only one goal and one assist despite starting every league game.

Like Benzema, a poor performance at Sevilla means he is now uncertain of retaining his place for Saturday’s showdown with Atletico, with hard-working Lucas Vazquez waiting in the wings.

Atletico finding their feet

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What about Real’s opponents in this weekend’s derby? Well, after a slow start Atletico are heading into the game on a much-improved run of form.

Having persuaded Antoine Griezmann to reject the advances of Barcelona and boosted the forward line with the addition of skilful wingers Thomas Lemar and Gelson Martins plus Croatia target man Nikola Kalinic, Atletico started the season surrounded by great expectations – especially after they overcame Real to lift the Uefa Super Cup with a 4-2 extra-time victory in Tallinn.

The early weeks of the campaign, however, were a huge disappointment. A creditable opening-day draw at Valencia was followed by a scrappy 1-0 home win over lowly Rayo Vallecano, a chastening 2-0 loss at Celta Vigo and a fortuitous 1-1 draw against Eibar thanks to an injury-time equaliser.

Throughout that period, things just were not clicking. The partnership between Griezmann and Diego Costa – who has not scored in the league since February – was not bearing fruit, with the duo often on different wavelengths.

The new signings were struggling to make an impact, and even Atletico’s famed defensive discipline was absent as opponents carved out opportunities with alarming ease.

With Diego Simeone at the helm, though, they were unlikely to remain disjointed for long, and the turning point came with the Champions League group opener at Monaco. The hosts struck first, but a good finish from Costa, expertly assisted by Griezmann, and a header from Jose Maria Gimenez allowed them to fight back for three points.

That was followed by another confidence-building victory at the dangerous Getafe last weekend, when a 2-0 victory was secured by Lemar’s finish at the culmination of a slick passing move which suggested Simeone’s men are finding their feet.

Then came a midweek stroll against Huesca, when Costa’s assist for Griezmann’s finish set up a 3-0 victory which allows Atletico to head into the weekend derby date – a fixture they have not lost since 2012 – with their confidence restored.

So Real are under heavy pressure to perform… and nobody more so than Benzema.

BBC Sport – Football

Why pressure is on 'over-rated' Benzema after Ronaldo's Real exit was originally published on 365 Football

[365footballorg-blog]

Why pressure is on 'over-rated' Benzema after Ronaldo's Real exit

Why pressure is on 'over-rated' Benzema after Ronaldo's Real exit

“Decent but not great” and “a tad over-rated”.

That was Gary Lineker’s verdict on Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema last October. And, although the former England captain’s tweet – along with Benzema’s angry response (“I’m embarrassed for him”) – generated plenty of controversy, it was difficult to argue against Lineker’s opinion.

Benzema was in distinctly underwhelming…