Barcelona is the club that Karim Benzema has faced the most times (39 matches before Sunday), and also the team that most often defeated him (18). From his superb heel in April to the terrible 5-0 in 2010, here are five memorable clasicos for him before Sunday’s (4:15 p.m.).
First clasico and first setback
November 29, 2009 at Camp Nou, La Liga Matchday 12, FC Barcelona – Real Madrid 1-0: For his very first clasico, Karim Benzema is replacing. At Real Madrid for five months, the Lyon striker started the month of November with a bang, with a goal against AC Milan in the Champions League and two assists in La Liga in the space of eight days.
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Back from the locker room, Zlatan Ibrahimovic opens the scoring for Barça (56th). Manuel Pellegrini decides to launch Benzema in 65th place in place of Portuguese icon Cristiano Ronaldo… but nothing changes. “KB9” bowed for his first clasico.
The “manita” at the Camp Nou
November 29, 2010 at Camp Nou, Matchday 13 of Liga, FC Barcelona – Real Madrid 5 – 0: One year to the day after his first clasico, Benzema finds Barça at Camp Nou for a dream clasico. The great battle then rages between José Mourinho and Pep Guardiola and between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Real, leader, approach this clasico in a position of strength. But that evening, the Catalans give a football lesson. Karim Benzema, this time holder at the top, will only have one chance, with a good pass from “CR7”. But nothing to do. Barça confiscated the ball and scored five goals (in Spanish “manita”, “small hand”, allusion to the five fingers).
The match will be marked by Ronaldo’s stroller on Guardiola, and by the red card addressed to Sergio Ramos for a very strong tackle on Lionel Messi. “Humiliated”, “out of their hinges”, the Spanish press will not spare the Madrilenians the day after this capital setback, one of Real’s worst routs in a clasico of the modern era.
Clasico stunning and useless double
March 23, 2014 at the Santiago-Bernabeu, La Liga Matchday 29, Real Madrid – FC Barcelona 3 – 4: Under Carlo Ancelotti’s first merengue term (2013-2015), Benzema will have one of the main roles in one of the most epic clasicos in history. Before the final La Liga sprint, “KB9” responds to Iniesta’s initial goal with an uncrossed header badly negotiated by Victor Valdés (20th), then, in the wake, by a sequence of thigh control – right strike which will give the advantage to Real. Benzema will even have the ball from 3-1, still served by Angel di Maria, but his shot will be blocked by Gerard Pique on his line.
The rest is history: Messi scored a hat-trick to snatch the victory against “CR7” (who had equalized at 3-3), Sergio Ramos (sent off once again) and others.
Super Benzema for a Super Cup
August 16, 2017 at the Santiago-Bernabeu, Spanish Super Cup second leg, Real Madrid – FC Barcelona 2 – 0 (first leg: 3-1 for Real Madrid): A clasico for a title: after 27 clasicos and only 7 small successes against Barça in the Merengue jersey, Benzema will finally beat the Catalans to win a trophy at the start of the 2017-2018 financial year.
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FC Barcelona’s golden age under Guardiola (2008-2012) is over. The Madrilenians, led by Zinédine Zidane, win 3-1 in the first leg, and it is Benzema who will seal the coronation merengue on the return, with a nice half-volley crossed at the penalty spot in front of Samuel Umtiti.
Magnificent “Madjer” behind closed doors
April 10, 2021 at the Alfredo Di Stéfano stadium in Madrid, La Liga matchday 30, Real Madrid – FC Barcelona 2 – 1: The pandemic has been there, but it has not altered the elation of the clasico. Just before the final La Liga sprint, Real and Barça meet at the Afredo di Stéfano stadium, at the Real training center in Valdebebas, for a clasico behind closed doors.
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No supporter will be present at the stadium that day to see Karim Benzema’s best goal in the clasicos: in the 13th minute, the French N.9, captain that evening, cut a cross from Lucas Vazquez at the near post and deflects the ball in the cages with a superb heel style Madjer. A goal that will launch Real to their third consecutive victory against Barça.
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