four Champions League crowns. On
paper, Benzema was at the centre of an
attacking trident, with Ronaldo to his left
and (usually) Gareth Bale to his right.
In reality the team was set up to get
the best out of Ronaldo, with Benzema
tasked with creating space, occupying
defenders and chipping in with assists
for his prolific team-mate. Not that he
was short of goals –192 in those first
nine seasons – but the dynamic was
clear: Ronaldo was top dog.
This continued to be the case until
Ronaldo’s move toJuventus in 2018.
By that stage, he had obliterated Real
Madrid’s goal record with a scarcely
believable 450 goals in 438 club
appearances. His position had
changed too, moving more centrally
to play alongside Benzema, whose
goal output dropped as a result.
The Frenchman notched just five
La Liga goals during the 2017-18
campaign, his worst return since
arriving in Spain. Yet the decision-
makers atLos Blancoswere in no
doubt that he could fill Ronaldo’s
goalscoring boots; thus began the
latest – and most impressive –
stage in Benzema’s career.
Speaking toMirror Football
earlier this year, Aitor Karanka –
the new Granada boss who was
assistant toJose Mourinho at Real
Madrid between 2010 and 2013- explained on Benzema: “The key
moment for Karim was when Cristiano
left. His body language can fool you
when you do not know him, but I knew
that he would replace Cristiano as the
leader of that team.”
Benzema’s goal numbers have
always been fairly impressive, but
he exceeded the 30-goal tally in a
single season just once when playing
alongside Ronaldo. Since the summer
of 2018, his completed campaign
goal tallies have been 30, 27 and
30, and this season he has already
surpassed 40 goals.
His first attempt at hitting that
magical 40-goal landmark came in
a La Liga trip to Osasuna in mid-April.
Standing on 39 strikes for the season,
Real Madrid were twice awardedpenalties in Pamplona and twice
Benzema stepped up. Both times,
Osasuna goalkeeper Sergio Herrera
saved; it was the first time ever that
a Madrid player had missed two
penalties in the same La Liga game- and the first time since 2005 that
any player from any side had done so.
The following week, Ancelotti’s side
travelled to Manchester City for the
first leg of their Champions League
semi-final. Trailing by two early City
goals, Real Madrid were on the ropes.
Benzema then scored a goal out of
nothing, directing a wayward cross into
the corner of the net with a controlled
finish, while off balance, on his weaker
left foot. It was typical Benzema.
City restored their two-goal
advantage in the tie before the
visitors were handed a chance to
halve the deficit with a late penalty.
Less than a week after his spot-kick
failures, it was Benzema who stepped
up. Remarkably, he chipped a Panenka-
style penalty down
the middle and into
the net; the coolest
man in Manchester.
Goal number 41
of the campaign.
Immediately after
the match, Benzema
told Spanish TV: “If you don’t take
penalties, you’ll never miss them.
It’s confidence, nothing more. It’s all
mental.” If ever there was a quote to
sum up the successes of Benzema
and Real Madrid, a player and a team
who always step up in the biggest
moments, it is that.
Colin Millar
Passing on the
Madrid mantle...
Ronaldo and
Benzema“The key moment for Karim was when
Cristiano left – I knew that he would replace
Cristiano as the leader of that team”
Aitor Karanka, former Real Madrid assistant coachPEOPLE AND PLACES IN THE NEWSPEOPLE AND PLACES IN THE NEWS