Benz the big threat at Etihad
ILKAY GUNDOGAN believes that Karim Benzema has grown to be Real Madrid’s talisman because he’s no longer living in Cristiano Ronaldo’s shadow.
Manchester City midfielder Gundogan warned that the 34-year-old France striker poses the biggest threat to Pep Guardiola’s hopes of reaching a second successive Champions League Final.
City and Real clash at the Etihad in the first leg of their semi-final on Tuesday – with Benzema still buzzing after scoring four goals against Chelsea in the quarter-finals.
Germany star Gundogan said: “Benzema is absolutely fantastic. In my opinion, people have underestimated him too much in recent years, and now he’s proving them all wrong.
“He was an important player at Real before, but he was overshadowed by Ronaldo, especially in terms of the media.
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“It’s impressive how he keeps performing at this level for so long. For me, he’s currently the best striker in the world, together with Robert Lewandowski.”
Gundogan also heaped praise on another Madrid oldie – 36-year-old former Tottenham star Luka Modric.
“He’s a magician! His assist for Rodrygo against Chelsea left me speechless. The way he plays always seems smooth and calm,” said Gundogan.
“When he won the Ballon d’or in 2018, I was so happy for him because it was finally a player in my position. He and Toni Kroos do a great job for Real Madrid.”
City, who lost last season’s final to Chelsea, know how vital it could be to take a firstleg lead to Spain, with Gundogan acknowledging the power of the Bernabeu.
He added: “Real knocked out Paris Saint-germain and Chelsea – that already shows how strong they are this season. We know what they can do.
“Winning the trophy is definitely a big goal for me – but also for us as a team. After losing the final last year, we’ve grown and improved.”