This season, Benzema has scored 34 goals in all competitions from just 35 matches - 24 of them have come in La Liga and eight in the Champions League.
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Football fans are in for a feast on Wednesday night when two European giants – Real Madrid and Chelsea – go head-on in a mouth-watering Champions League quarterfinal clash. It is a repeat of last season’s semifinal showdown. Back then Thomas Tuchel’s side won the second leg 2-0 at Stamford Bridge following a stalemate in the first leg. Even though the two heavyweights are playing in a round earlier this season, the clash still holds significance in its own way. Unlike last year, the first leg will take place at Stamford Bridge this time around.
Chelsea have to be wary of a number of Galacticos, starting from their world-class midfielders of Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Casemiro. However, Tuchel has singled out his praise for one player – Karim Benzema. The Chelsea manager believes that at one point, Benzema was one of the most “under-rated players” in the world. But he is glad that the Frenchman’s contribution is more recognised these days.
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Ahead of the massive clash, Tuchel was asked by a reporter if there was a Real Madrid player who would pose a threat to his side. “Instead of being boring and always saying ‘I will not say who’, one particular name I gave all the praise to is Karim Benzema,” Tuchel was quoted as saying by the club’s website.
“Two years ago he was one of the most under-rated players in world football, but maybe not anymore, which he absolutely deserves. He plays as a number nine for Real Madrid for so many years, that speaks for itself. What he did in the last stage for them, how he carried responsibility, and the key part he plays as a captain now, is very impressive.”
In the last-16 clash, Real Madrid were outplayed for nearly three halves by Paris Saint-Germain. However, Carlo Ancelotti’s side produced a famous comeback in the second half of the second leg to knock out the French giants, largely thanks to Karim Benzema’s hat-trick. However, they had a massive reality check during a 4-0 home defeat against Barcelona in La Liga when Benzema missed the El Clasico due to an injury.
“You can see what can happen to the team in his absence when they played the Clasico. For sure he is a standout player and a standout personality, but it is again at this very moment unfair to Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, Casemiro and to all the guys who carried this team so successfully over almost a decade now. They are huge personalities which I am immediately a fan of, but for sure not today.”
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The Frenchman was in the shadow of former Real Madrid player Cristiano Ronaldo for a very long time. After the departure of the Portuguese star from Santiago Bernabeu, Benzema started to get the spotlight he deserved. He has been one of Real Madrid’s top players in recent years.
This season, Karim Benzema has scored 34 goals in all competitions from just 35 matches – 24 of them have come in La Liga and eight in the Champions League. In the upcoming clash, Real Madrid need Benzema at the top of his game to book a semifinal spot, while Chelsea have to keep the French forward silent in order to survive this daunting task against the Spanish giants.
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