Karim Benzema is past and present of Real Madrid. Is he also his future?

Historically speaking, doubt Karim Benzema it was a bad move.

Some questioned whether the 21-year-old signed by Lyon in 2009 was the right man to lead Real Madrid’s attack; Benzema battled against competition from Gonzalo Higuaín to establish himself as the club’s undisputed number 9. Others weren’t convinced he could fill the scoring void left by Cristiano Ronaldodeparture in 2018; Benzema quickly went on to deliver four consecutive 20+ goal league seasons.

– LIVE broadcast: Barcelona vs. Real Madrid, LaLiga, Sunday 3/19, 3:45 pm ET, E+

Some thought Benzema’s chances of winning the Ballon d’Or were dashed when he finished fourth in the 2021 shortlist. Scoring 15 Champions League goals to lead Madrid to the trophy a year later made an indisputable case for him to win the Ballon d’Or. They will deliver the award last October.

Now, in 2023, the doubters are back, as Benzema’s injury-plagued season has people wondering if it’s time for Madrid to move on. The France star is 35 years old and has been unavailable in 10 of 25 league games in 2022-23. He was (controversially) sent home from The Blues’ Qatar training camp ahead of the World Cup after picking up another injury, and is on pace for his lowest goal tally for the season since 2017-18.

Benzema’s status as one of the all-time greats is out of the question. Only Ronaldo scored more goals for Madrid, 450 against Benzema’s 341. But with the club looking to bring in a striker this summer, his automatic starting position could be threatened. And so, ESPN examines the future of Karim Benzema as Real Madrid’s first-choice centre-forward, this season, next and beyond, and the impact he could have in this weekend’s Clasico with Barcelona.

With additional reporting by Julien Laurens and Rodrigo Faez

What changed from last season to this one?

The 2021-22 season was the peak of Benzema’s imperial stage. If his performances in the three previous campaigns saw increasingly better figures, with 21, 21 and 23 goals in LaLiga, this was something else. 27 league goals, the best result of his career, surpassing an xG, or expected goals, of 24.38. 15 goals in the Champions League, also the best in his history, sweeping with a xG of only 8.37. His tally in all competitions: 44 goals in 46 games. Maintaining those numbers was impossible and perhaps unrealistic; a descent to more humane levels of excellence was predictable.

Benzema’s 2022-23 can easily be divided into before and after the World Cup: the former was defined by his desperation to get into tournament shape, and the latter by his desire to show that he is past his prime. . but in both cases, the headline numbers are solid and, when compared to last season, not spectacular. He has scored 11 league goals in 15 starts, with an xG of 13.37, and found the net twice in five Champions League games, both against Liverpool on February 21, for a total of 18 goals in 27 appearances in all competitions.

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It’s worth noting that many of Benzema’s underlying numbers look a bit different from this season to last. In LaLiga, he is giving more touches per game (56.7 vs. 49.1), he has a slightly better pass completion rate (87% to 85.2%), he is creating more chances per game (2.2 to 1.9) and has the same xA, or expected assists, per game (0.2).

Benzema’s fundamental problem has been the injuries that limit playing time. He has suffered eight separate injuries this season, including a series of hamstring problems, with the latest ankle blow keeping him out of Saturday’s 3-1 La Liga win over Espanyol. Combined with a slight drop in his clinical finishing, him going from outperforming his xG last season to underperforming this campaign, to paint a picture of a player on the decline.

Sources told ESPN that Benzema blames his injuries this season on the amount of football he played the previous year: he managed 32 league games, 12 Champions League appearances, the Spanish Super Cup and Nations League matches. for France, all at the age of 34. The player argues that it is inevitable that his body will suffer the consequences of this volume of minutes and hopes to leave his physical problems behind next year.

Will he get a new contract? What are Madrid’s transfer plans?

Benzema’s contract at Madrid expires on June 30, 2023, though that schedule isn’t new: Madrid tend to extend the contracts of veteran players over the age of 30 annually, allowing both parties to reflect on how they feel before to decide. if to stay for another season. The influential Benzema quartet, Luka modric, Toni Kroos and Nacho Fernandez are all in that position right now.

Sources told ESPN that Benzema’s new contract has been all but agreed, with only the formalities, a signature and an official announcement required at this stage.

Barring a completely unexpected change, Benzema is not going anywhere. He will be Real Madrid’s center forward and starting captain next season, regardless of him turning 36 in December. Both the player and the club believe there is no reason why he cannot continue to operate at the highest level in the short to medium term, but he will not be alone in that department next season as Madrid are looking for various candidates. to diversify his attack this summer.

The club have accepted that the first-team squad needs another top-tier center forward, having opted not to move in the summer of 2022 due to a lack of suitable candidates after kylian mbappe he turned down the opportunity to join from Paris Saint-Germain. Two of the players being monitored are dusan vlahovic Juventus and Tottenham richarlisonalthough there are others.

The problem, however, is that being Benzema’s understudy has turned out to be an unenviable task. Álvaro Morata returned to the club from Juventus in 2016, moving to Chelsea a year later. Mariano Díaz arrived from Lyon in 2018 and is still at the club, although barely playing, with a considerable salary. Madrid paid 60 million euros to sign luka jovic coming from Eintracht Frankfurt in 2019, although his impact was so limited that they let him leave for free last year.

Looking ahead, Brazilian teenager Endrick philipThe 16-year-old will arrive in 2024, but the club will look to roll the dice for another Benzema alternative in the meantime. Benzema himself would support such a move, sources told ESPN, and believes the team would benefit from greater strength in depth.

The next challenge: keep the title race alive

With Barcelona nine points clear at the top of LaLiga, it’s tempting to say there’s no longer a title race to speak of, at least not a genuine one. But if Madrid win on Sunday classic at the Camp Nou, the difference would be reduced to just six points, a not inconsiderable advantage with 12 games to go.

Naturally, Madrid’s chances of victory will increase substantially with Benzema in form and in the starting eleven. His career record against Barça might not be overwhelming: 13 goals in 44 classics — but his influence on these games in recent peak years has far exceeded those numbers. Still, there are no guarantees.

Benzema started last classic meeting, the semifinal of the Copa del Rey, first leg, at the Bernabéu on March 2, which Barça won 1-0. He had an early goal disallowed for offside, but otherwise he was calm as Madrid didn’t register a single shot on goal. He scored Madrid’s last consolation goal in a 3-1 Spanish Super Cup final loss to Barcelona on January 15, and the opening goal in a 3-1 LaLiga win at the Bernabéu on October 16. .

If you need an illustration of Madrid’s inability to cope effectively without Benzema, you can check out last season’s La Liga clash on March 20. Coach Carlo Ancelotti inexplicably presented Luka Modric as the fakest of the “false nine” around the penalty area in the Frenchman’s absence, though the void he left in midfield meant Madrid’s attacking threat was almost nil. Barcelona would go on to win one of the most unilateral classics of recent memory, 4-0.

In 2023, Madrid’s fittest forward has not been Benzema, but junior vinicius. The two forged an exciting partnership last season, but they haven’t meshed as convincingly this year. The couple’s ability to bond and free themselves from the pressure applied by Barça defenders. Ronald Araujo and Jules Konde in the Copa del Rey two weeks ago – could be decisive. Rodrygo Goes, another who loves to pair up with Benzema when he drives upfield and looks to exchange quick passes, will also be important, whether from the start or coming off the bench.

The same is true of Federico Valverde and of Modric. They all play their best football when around Benzema, a singularly selfless center forward. Despite his age, despite all those injuries, he’s the glue that holds Real Madrid’s attack together, which is what makes the thought of replacing him so daunting.