Full support for Benzema
Carlo Ancelotti echoed the club’s feelings towards to the French striker: “Karim does not worry me, he looks fine to me”.
Carlo Ancelotti put subtlety to one side and stuck out his chest for Karima Benzema, whose future at the club has been the subject of much debate in recent weeks. The French striker has missed a total of 74 days through injury this season and his performance in the Copa Clásico left a lot to be desired. But Ancelotti resoundingly defended the player when the question was raised in his post-match press conference: “It’s not possible to be on top in every game! I’m not worried about Karim, because he looks fine to me, in good physical condition - certainly much better than in the first part of the season. In attack, we have been performing well. We have scored more goals than anyone else in the top flight. Karim has had a few off moments, but nothing more. There is no problem scoring goals - we scored five at Anfield,” the Madrid coach reasoned.
Carletto explained what Karim brings to the team’s attack and why there is no one else quite like him. “It’s obvious that transitions favour us and low blocks hurt us. But I don’t want a tall striker, I want Benzema, who helps us improve our attacking game... and the data is there - with him, we are the top-scoring side in LaLiga. A tall centre-forward would force us to cross the ball more and that is not our style,” he continued. In short, for Ancelotti, Benzema, the current Ballon d’Or holder, is Madrid’s undisputed No.9.
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It hasn’t been an easy season for the Frenchman, who has endured a series of physical problems since the start of the season. First, he hobbled out of the Champions League group game against Celtic with an injury to his right knee. Then the chronic muscular fatigue that struck just when the World Cup was around the corner. After that, the cruelest setback of all, when Deschamps invited Karim to leave Qatar due to a minor quadriceps injury that would have kept him sidelined for no more than 10 days. After club competition resumed, Benzema recovered his previous form. According to Olocip, specialists in applying AI to football, during the period after the World Cup until last week’s Clásico, he was Madrid’s third best player after Vinicius and Militão, with 12 goals in 14 games. 18 in total (in 25 games). And that’s why Ancelotti staunchly defends him.
However, it is in the area of generating play where Benzema has yet to rediscover himself. His role as a No.10 has stuck with him but that is at odds with his qualities as a No.9. The main problem is that he is being compared to the figures he posed last season - 44 goals and 15 assists. With 18 goals and five assists so far this season, it may seem that his form is on the wane but Carletto insists that Karim bring a lot of other qualities to the team - attributes that are rarely seen or mentioned.
What looms on the horizon
Even before the Clásico, Ancelotti fiercely supported Karim in face of the critics: “What he has done for us is there for all to see. He has helped us a lot and hopefully we can thank him once again this year too. Karim puts us closer to winning trophies in the decisive moments,” the coach said. There is however, the option of bringing in a striker this summer to have on stand-by, but that doesn’t mean that confidence in Benzema is ebbing - it is simply necessary to have all bases covered and be prepared for any type of scenario.
What both Ancelotti and the club are clear about is that Benzema will continue even though his current contract is due to expire on 30 June 2023. The player will have the final say on whether to accept a one-year extension, which will take him to 2024. The same applies to Kroos and Modric with their respective contracts. Madrid trust Benzema will continue to deliver while knowing that at 35, he is in the final stage of his career. But while he is taking good care of himself and enjoys the support of both the club and the coach, Benzema is well placed to sign up for another season in Madrid.