Benzema best required as Real Madrid’s double objective remains

LaLiga is back at the Santiago Bernabéu after a two-week break, with Real Madrid set to host Valladolid. Valladolid previously lost to Real Madrid in their own stadium, with Karim Benzema scoring two goals for Los Blancos. Today, the 25-year old will once again be a part of Carlo Ancelotti’s starting lineup as we enter the final stretch of the competition, with now faint hopes of catching up to the leaders, Barcelona. To achieve this goal, as well as needing a Catalan collapse, they’ll require the best performance from their French talisman. However, Benzema has only scored three goals in the eight games he has played at the Castellana-based stadium this term. Maybe he needs it completed.

Real Madrid need Benzema at his best

Benzema has scored a total of 11 goals in the current league season, and has provided three assists, with eight of those goals being scored away from home. However, his season has been hampered by injuries, which have caused him to miss 10 out of the 26 games played so far (38%). The injuries started during Madrid’s first Champions League match against Celtic in September 2022. In contrast, he missed only six games last season, with three due to injury, one where he was rested, and two where he was left out.

This season has not been the best for the French striker, as per the data from Olocip. Benzema’s best season was the previous one (2021-22), where he generated a value of 25.21. He was instrumental in Real Madrid’s success -- domestic and continental champions -- as he created more than 25 goals than expected, averaging a goal every 150 minutes. However, this season he has not been able to maintain the same level of performance, taking an average of 409 minutes to contribute to the generation of a single goal. This is his poorest showing in recent years, as he has not required as many minutes to make a positive impact on the team since the 2017-2018 season.

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Following two weeks of intense training at Valdebebas and at home, Benzema now appears to be in good shape for the upcoming challenges, starting with the match against Valladolid.

Last year during this period, Benzema scored ten goals, including three against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, and guess who Madrid’s next Champions League opponents are. With 12 games remaining, he has a chance to retain his title as the top scorer in the league. However, he currently sits behind Lewandowski, who has scored 17 goals, with Unal (13 goals), and the Spanish trio of Borja Iglesias, Aspas, and Joselu, all with 12 goals, closely behind.

Benzema, with his 11 goals, has to start this period as if from scratch, and Real Madrid need him to perform at his very, very best as they chase more silverware.