From Ronaldo's Deputy to Hat-Trick King: How Benzema Became Real Madrid's Favourite Son
13:23 GMT 07.04.2022 (Updated: 11:44 GMT 10.12.2022)
© AFP 2023 / MIGUEL RIOPA
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Karim Benzema remained in the shadows of Cristiano Ronaldo for a decade at the Santiago Bernabeu. But he is now Real Madrid's favourite son after taking on the Portuguese's role in Carlo Ancelotti's first team in the Spanish capital.
On Wednesday, Karim Benzema scripted history as he became just the second man ever to score a hat-trick in consecutive knockout Champions League games with his treble against reigning European champions Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
His former team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo is the only other footballer to achieve the landmark in the past, accomplishing the feat in 2017.
Last month, Benzema dismantled a Kylian Mbappe-led Paris Saint-Germain, delivering a triple within a span of 17 minutes.
Benzema though wasn't Real's main man for much of the last decade when Ronaldo ruled the roost at the club and waited a long time to become their numero uno star.
However, if there were any doubts about his transformation from "Ronaldo's deputy" to "hat-trick king", all those were blown away by him, just like he blew Chelsea away with a stunning hat-trick in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinals on Wednesday.
"King Karim" as he is often called by his teammates, has become a legend in Madrid, something he would have never dreamt of as CR7 received much of the love, and praise in Spain.
An unselfish Benzema continued to play second fiddle to Ronaldo during their 10-years together at the La Liga giants, often helping him in his goals with his numerous assists.
It was Benzema's tireless service which made the five-time Ballon d'Or winner Real's all-time top scorer with 450 goals, but after he left for Juventus in 2018, Benzema began to assert himself at the club.
The French international probably is the best striker in the world right now. With 37 goals in 36 games across competitions in Madrid's current campaign, he's resembling the numbers of Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in recent years.
However, if there were any doubts about his transformation from "Ronaldo's deputy" to "hat-trick king", all those were blown away by him, just like he blew Chelsea away with a stunning hat-trick in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinals on Wednesday.
"King Karim" as he is often called by his teammates, has become a legend in Madrid, something he would have never dreamt of as CR7 received much of the love, and praise in Spain.
An unselfish Benzema continued to play second fiddle to Ronaldo during their 10-years together at the La Liga giants, often helping him in his goals with his numerous assists.
It was Benzema's tireless service which made the five-time Ballon d'Or winner Real's all-time top scorer with 450 goals, but after he left for Juventus in 2018, Benzema began to assert himself at the club.
The French international probably is the best striker in the world right now. With 37 goals in 36 games across competitions in Madrid's current campaign, he's resembling the numbers of Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in recent years.
15 March 2022, 12:55 GMT
On the other hand, Benzema's manager Carlo Ancelotti has already declared him as the favourite to win the Ballon d'Or this year.
The 34-year-old footballer is the leading scorer in Spain's top flight with 24 goals in 26 appearances, while four men, namely Juanmi, Raul de Tomas, Enes Unal and his Real colleague Vinicius Junior all occupy the second spot with 14 goals each.
Benzema's impressive run in the La Liga has given Ancelotti's side a healthy 12-point lead over second placed Barcelona in the current competition. With only eight matches left, Real are almost certain to win a record extending 35th title this term.
Benzema's rich vein of form has surprised many, considering he will be celebrating his 35th birthday in December.
At 34, Lionel Messi has struggled big time at PSG and even a 30-year-old Neymar is finding it tough to score goals there. Remarkably, there's no stopping Benzema and instead of slowing down, he's still going strong.
Well before his hat-trick against Chelsea, the signs of his brilliance were for all to see. During the weekend, his effortless double against Celta Vigo powered them to a 2-1 triumph, helping Real maintain their position at the top of the leaderboard in the Spanish league.
Among the many theories of Benzema's rise at Los Blancos is that because Ronaldo's presence never allowed him to completely flourish at the Santiago Bernabeu until the current Man United star was there, the Frenchman's individual brilliance took a backseat.
With CR7 no longer there, Benzema is only showcasing that individual brilliance which he had hidden from the world up until now.
Former India international Abdul Khalique, who played for the country's iconic club Mohun Bagan in the late 90s, agrees with this argument.
According to Khalique, when a footballer is playing alongside Ronaldo, he has to play by his rules as he cannot set his own rules, something Benzema did splendidly for so many years.
"Benzema seems to be enjoying the freedom he's got as the leader of Real Madrid's attack, which he never got during the Ronaldo era," Khalique told Sputnik on Thursday.
"You can see an undiminished appetite for goals in his eyes and Ancelotti has backed him to the hilt too, which is why he has been playing without any kind of pressure and producing one great performance after another," he added.
The 34-year-old footballer is the leading scorer in Spain's top flight with 24 goals in 26 appearances, while four men, namely Juanmi, Raul de Tomas, Enes Unal and his Real colleague Vinicius Junior all occupy the second spot with 14 goals each.
Benzema's impressive run in the La Liga has given Ancelotti's side a healthy 12-point lead over second placed Barcelona in the current competition. With only eight matches left, Real are almost certain to win a record extending 35th title this term.
Benzema's rich vein of form has surprised many, considering he will be celebrating his 35th birthday in December.
At 34, Lionel Messi has struggled big time at PSG and even a 30-year-old Neymar is finding it tough to score goals there. Remarkably, there's no stopping Benzema and instead of slowing down, he's still going strong.
Well before his hat-trick against Chelsea, the signs of his brilliance were for all to see. During the weekend, his effortless double against Celta Vigo powered them to a 2-1 triumph, helping Real maintain their position at the top of the leaderboard in the Spanish league.
Among the many theories of Benzema's rise at Los Blancos is that because Ronaldo's presence never allowed him to completely flourish at the Santiago Bernabeu until the current Man United star was there, the Frenchman's individual brilliance took a backseat.
With CR7 no longer there, Benzema is only showcasing that individual brilliance which he had hidden from the world up until now.
Former India international Abdul Khalique, who played for the country's iconic club Mohun Bagan in the late 90s, agrees with this argument.
According to Khalique, when a footballer is playing alongside Ronaldo, he has to play by his rules as he cannot set his own rules, something Benzema did splendidly for so many years.
"Benzema seems to be enjoying the freedom he's got as the leader of Real Madrid's attack, which he never got during the Ronaldo era," Khalique told Sputnik on Thursday.
"You can see an undiminished appetite for goals in his eyes and Ancelotti has backed him to the hilt too, which is why he has been playing without any kind of pressure and producing one great performance after another," he added.
Ex-Manchester United and England defender Rio Ferdinand echoed similar sentiments.
"When Cristiano Ronaldo was there, Benzema had the humility to be in the background because he knew what the team needed," Ferdinand told BT Sport after Real's win over the European champions on Wednesday.
"But now he's come out of the shadows. He's 34 and he's the best No.9 in the world. He's on another level," he insisted.
According to several pundits, including his current coach in the France national team Didier Deschamps, the secret to Benzema surviving such a long spell under Ronaldo was his adaptability, something he himself acknowledged in an interview at the start of 2022.
"When Ronaldo played for Real Madrid, he scored between 50 and 60 goals a year," Benzema told France Football earlier this year. "So, you have to adapt to this reality.
"I had to move more on the pitch, give him space. When he left, what changed was that it was my turn to take over, score goals and provide assists to my other team-mates," he added.
Despite his marvellous scoring run, he's yet to match Ronaldo's all-time figures in a season.
But unlike the Funchal-born football star, who focused entirely on scoring goals, Benzema is showing his creative side on the field too, having provided 11 assists to his teammates in the La Liga, the most by a player this season.
Right now, Benzema is in third place behind Ronaldo and Raul Gonzalez in the club's list of all-time scorers with 313 strikes. But if he continues to dazzle the way he has been doing in recent months, more accolades are sure to come and who knows a first Ballon d'Or may just be round the corner.
According to several pundits, including his current coach in the France national team Didier Deschamps, the secret to Benzema surviving such a long spell under Ronaldo was his adaptability, something he himself acknowledged in an interview at the start of 2022.
"When Ronaldo played for Real Madrid, he scored between 50 and 60 goals a year," Benzema told France Football earlier this year. "So, you have to adapt to this reality.
"I had to move more on the pitch, give him space. When he left, what changed was that it was my turn to take over, score goals and provide assists to my other team-mates," he added.
Despite his marvellous scoring run, he's yet to match Ronaldo's all-time figures in a season.
But unlike the Funchal-born football star, who focused entirely on scoring goals, Benzema is showing his creative side on the field too, having provided 11 assists to his teammates in the La Liga, the most by a player this season.
Right now, Benzema is in third place behind Ronaldo and Raul Gonzalez in the club's list of all-time scorers with 313 strikes. But if he continues to dazzle the way he has been doing in recent months, more accolades are sure to come and who knows a first Ballon d'Or may just be round the corner.
