Real Madrid vs Athletic: Benzema eyeing best LaLiga goal haul
Karim Benzema has 11 career goals to his name against Athletic Bilbao, making the Basques his joint-most frequent victims alongside Granada.
Despite failing to find the net with either of his two shots on target, Karim Benzema earned plenty of plaudits in Wednesday's Clásico draw with Barcelona.
Playing excellently with his back to goal, the Frenchman was at the heart of all that was good about Los Blancos' attacking efforts, and is in the kind of form that sees him shine even without scoring. However, Madrid could do with him not making too much of a habit of this: after all, his haul of 12 LaLiga goals this season places him nine ahead of Sergio Ramos, the team's next-top marksman.
11 goals for Benzema against Athletic
Encouragingly for Madrid, though, Sunday night's visitors to the Bernabéu, Athletic Bilbao, are, together with Granada, Benzema's most frequent goal-scoring victims. The striker has hit 11 career goals against both sides, with eight of his haul against Athletic coming at home - including a hat-trick in last term's league meeting in the Spanish capital.
Benzema on pace for best ever LaLiga haul
What's more, Benzema is yet to go two straight LaLiga games without a goal this season, and is in a rich vein of form at the Bernabéu, having netted six times - and supplied three assists - in his last four appearances in all competitions at the stadium. In all, he has scored in eight out of 10 home matches in 2019/20.
At his present scoring rate of 0.71 goals per game, Benzema is on course to bag 27 LaLiga strikes this season, three more than his personal best of 24 in 2015/16.
See also: Benzema turns 32 and wants an 'honest' extension
Real Madrid vs Athletic Bilbao live on AS English
Real Madrid host Athletic in week 18 of the LaLiga season at 21:00 CET, and you can follow live coverage of the clash right here on AS English.