Karim Benzema is now a Real leader for Spanish champions

14/04/21 4495

There are so many players built up as top players, only for them to fail their team when it needs them. However, truly top players step up in big games and Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema has established himself as one of those players.

For so long the French forward seemed to be in the shadow of Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. The fans often used him as a scapegoat if the team failed to perform, but he was always a steady performer.

Since the 2018 departure of Ronaldo, Benzema has grown in stature. He has stepped up his game and took on more responsibility.

The observers and experts still rate the forward highly, but also, he is no longer the man that fans turn their ire at when things go wrong in games. In fact, he is now the man everybody at Real Madrid looks to for inspiration. More often than not he delivers.

For instance, the 33-year-old scored the opening goal in El Clasico, as Zinedine Zidane’s team recorded a potentially massive 2-1 win over Barcelona on Saturday night. His superbly taken back-heeled effort gave Los Blancos just the springboard they needed to go on and achieve a big victory.

The goal was Benzema’s 19th of the season in the Spanish top-flight, only Barcelona great Lionel Messi with a goal tally of 23 goals can better the former Lyon star for goals in La Liga this season.

The fact that he has produced six assists also shows that he is capable of creating goals too. He is now the complete forward, who can seemingly do everything.

However, the one attribute that seems to have shone through with Benzema in recent years has been his influence and leadership skills. He is one of Zidane’s generals on the pitch and has shown his kept his cool in the most heated battles of late.

If Real Madrid are successful this season, then no doubt Karim Benzema will have had a hand, or a foot, in that success.