New Telegraph

EL-CLASICO: BUBBLING BENZEMA BIDS TO BEAT BARCA IN CAMP NOU

At 34, Karim Benzema is the face of La Liga after the exit of Lionel Messi pushed him further into the spotlight and the Frenchman could boost his chances in the race for the Balon d’Or if he leads Real Madrid to victory over Barcelona in a Clasico on Sunday. This is the first time in more than a decade that the biggest club football match will take place without either Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo but as a veteran of the tie, all eyes will be on Benzema to steal the show. This will be his Clasico 37th appearance and despite the fact that the game has lost some steam in recent years, his presence should still command some attention. Benzema has been in outstanding form and his leadership role has also helped Real since he assumed the captaincy of the club following the departure of Sergio Ramos last summer.

Except for Muhamed Salah of Liverpool, no player gets near his form at the moment; the man is in a league of his own, with 22 goal contributions in just 15 games this season. There’s simply no one around his level at the moment, and even when he’s not at his best, he’s still efficient enough to contribute to the team.

He’s been carrying the team since Ronaldo left in 2018; he knows he needed to step forward following the departure of the Portuguese megastar and the Frenchman has not failed since then. He operated largely under the shadow of Ronaldo for the nine years the Manchester United star spent at Bernabeu; the five-time Balon d’Or winner exclusively dominated the spotlight while Benzema suffered some kind of derision from even a section of Madrista fans. He’s king now at the capital after netting 74 goals since Ronaldo’s exit created a new path for him and he is now being considered for Balon d’Or. Clasico certainly provides a platform for him to make a strong case for his candidacy for the most prestigious individual accolade and at the same time further push Real’s dream of reclaiming the La Liga title.

The former champions are sitting second on the log with three points behind leaders Real Sociedad although with a game at hand. They will occupy the summit of the table temporarily with a victory over their arch-rivals on Sunday and can ultimately reclaim the top spot if they win the game at hand.

Benzema has scored 10 times in this fixture and holds the record of scoring the fastest goal in the history of the duels. Despite both Real and Barcelona passing through some kind of transition, Benzema believes the rating of the fixture has not dropped and fans should look forward to an explosive duel anytime the two sides clash. He said, “For me, it’s still the same.

This is the best game in football in the world regardless of the players who are here, the ones who left. It is history. It is football. [Before Ronaldo and Messi] there was Zinedine Zidane, there was Ronaldinho, there was Ronaldo, there was Samuel Eto’o. The names change, but Real Madrid vs. Barcelona is still Real Madrid vs. Barcelona, regardless of the players. The pressure is different.” Although the hosts have Ansu Fati, Gerald Pique, and Sergio Busquets these aren’t bigger faces than Benzema and King Karim will likely prove that point at Camp Nou on Sunday.

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