StatisticsKarim Benzema shoots his final best season at Real Madrid against Celta Vigo. The Frenchman snaps for the 33rd and 34th time this season, setting a new personal best. The top French striker is back and once again of maximum importance. He also draws level with a legend in the all-time LaLiga goalscorer list of the royal team.
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Benzema is Real Madrid’s life insurance in attack – Photo: IMAGO / Shutterstock
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Karim Benzema: Not a top performance, but a hero
VIGO. If he’s just there, the team is much better off. How important Karim Benzema for Real Madrid, had only recently shown the disastrous 0:4 against FC Barcelona. And as a contrasting result, the 2-1 win at Celta Vigo on Saturday. After suffering an injury in the area between his calf and ankle on March 14 and missing sorely in the Clásico, the Frenchman made an impressive comeback straight away.
But not even because he shone playfully as so often. In fact, the 34-year-old Frenchman was more of a disappointment. Benzema stood out from a sluggish Real side with a brace on matchday 30 of the Primera División.
He was the big protagonist in the curious penalty parade in the Estadio Balaídos. 19 minutes: Foul on Éder Militão – Penalty for Real. 63 minutes: Foul on Rodrygo Goes – Penalty for Real. 68 minutes: Foul on Ferland Mendy – Penalty for Real. It was always Benzema who started from the point but couldn’t let every shot fidget in the net. His second attempt failed, but he still confidently dared to do it again and was rewarded with the winning goal.
Best value cracked after ten years
“Sometimes when you fail, you hide. But he is always there to stand his ground and overcome any hurdle.”, Federico Valverde praised the star striker after the game. Thibaut Courtois: “In the end he keeps a cool head, that’s Karim Benzema. When it came to the third penalty, I had no doubts that he would convert it.”
@Benzema
24 GOALS in @LaLiga #RealFootball pic.twitter.com/LSo8wFpzAW— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) April 2, 2022
While his second strike was vital in the fight for the championship, Benzema made history with his first. The vice-captain of the white ballet scored his number 33 and 34 goals in Galicia this season – a new personal best of the season! In 2011/12 he celebrated 32 times under José Mourinho. A mark that he has only now, in his 13th year as a Real professional, been able to crack.
Benzema: Legend status cemented, legend surpassed. Continue reading
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Against Chelsea: Hopes rest on Karim Benzema
How far will he make it this season? He still has at least ten games to expand his record – eight in the league, two in the Champions League, in the quarterfinals against Chelsea (April 6th and 12th, in REAL TOTAL-Live ticker and at DAZN) the hopes now rest particularly on Benzema.
- 2021/22: 34 (season ongoing)
- 2020/21: 30
- 2019/20 48
- 2018/19: 30
- 2017/18: 12
- 2016/17: 19
- 2015/16: 28
- 2014/15: 22
- 2013/14: 24
- 2012/13: 20
- 2011/12: 32
- 2010/11: 26
- 2009/10: 9
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On top of that, the national striker also managed to draw level with legend Alfredo Di Stéfano against Celta. The late Argentinian once had 216 goals for the merengues in the Spanish league – Benzema now has the same number. In Real’s history, only Raúl (228) and Cristiano Ronaldo (312) have netted more times in the championship.
Of his current 34 goals this season, Benzema has scored 24 in the league. His first “Pichichi”, the award for the best scorer, should not be taken away from him. With team-mate Vinícius as well as Raúl de Tomás (Espanyol Barcelona) and Enes Ünal (FC Getafe), the runners-up are a whopping ten successes away with 14 goals each.
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