El Clásico: how Benzema and Lewandowski compare
Real Madrid and Barcelona go head-to-head once again in their first clash of the 2022/23 season, and both sit joint top of LaLiga Santander.
As we gear up for the big Spanish showdown, a game that is generally considered to be the biggest in club football across the globe, we wanted to consider the two main strikers that will be leading the line for Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively.
Benzema vs Lewandowski
Karim Benzema has been a constant in this recent generation in the capital, for a long while having to play in the shadow of Cristiano Ronaldo but always proving himself to be the ideal foil for the Portuguese sensation. Then, as CR7 moved on, the Frenchman stepped up into the scoring limelight and hasn’t looked back, his legacy with Los Blancos secured.
More from El Clásico
For the visitors this weekend, it’s a new face that is expected to put sullen faces on the home fans, with Robert Lewandowski surprising many by moving from Bayern Munich to the Camp Nou in the summer. Like his opposite number, the Polish frontman has stepped in to provide goals after a recent legend had moved on, in this case Lionel Messi a year before.
As can be seen from the graphic below (h/t to our friends at sofascore), there is plenty to admire from both players, both having netted and supported their teams to very positive starts this season. That said, it’s the big Pole who stands out from the crowd, something he was rather used to in the Bundesliga.
With 14 goals in 12 games (nine in LaLiga, meaning he’s already three clear of his nearest rivals for the domestic golden boot), Lewandowski has hit the ground running for the Catalan club. Xavi needed him to. Despite taking fewer shots than Benzema over the games so far in this campaign, his goal tally has seen him take just over 70 minutes on average to score.
A trip to the capital is going to be a very new experience for the Barça man, but he’s shown before he can rise to the occasion. And with a chance to go clear at the top of the league, both veterans of the Beautiful Game will be raring to go.
