Los Blancos fluff lines upfront
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Ronaldo, Benzema’s low returns and lack of options on the bench hurting Real Madrid’s prospects
MADRID: In a recurring theme of Real Madrid’s stuttering season, Zinedine Zidane protested all his side lacked was a goal as they fell 10 points behind La Liga leaders Barcelona after firing more blanks in a Madrid derby.
Yet, in attempting to defend a lacklustre performance from Saturday’s stalemate at Atletico Madrid, Zidane turned the spotlight once more on the misfiring Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.
Ronaldo’s run of one goal in eight La Liga games has attracted more attention because it is so out of character for a man who has plundered 414 goals in 408 games as Madrid’s all-time top scorer.
The World Player of the Year has also bagged six goals in four Champions League games to compensate for a slow La Liga start. Benzema, by contrast, has just two goals in nearly 1,000 minutes on the field this season in all competitions and patience with the Frenchman is wearing thin.
Benzema’s eight-year stint at the Santiago Bernabeu has been filled with highs and lows. However, in a huge show of support, Benzema, 29, was handed a bumper new four-year contract in September. Madrid also bet big on Benzema by cashing in on Alvaro Morata when Chelsea offered £60 million in July and failed to replace the Spanish international.
Morata scored more goals than Benzema last season despite playing fewer minutes and his sensational start to his Chelsea career has left even Ronaldo questioning Madrid’s transfer policy.
The Portuguese admitted Real lacked the same experience in a depleted squad this season after a first defeat in the Champions League group stages for five years at Tottenham.
Yet it is Ronaldo’s presence that has played a huge role in preserving Benzema’s status as Madrid’s number nine with the latter seen as the perfect unselfish foil for Ronaldo.
Zidane has been a fierce defender of Benzema’s role as a team player not just a goalscorer. “Karim won’t score 60 goals a season, but he will score 25 or 30 and make 30-40,” he said.