The Limited Times

Now you can see non-English news...

Hungary - France (1-1): Real's Benzema is overdue

2021-06-24T18:03:29.617Z


Always looking for his first goal since his return to the Blues, Karim Benzema embodies the difficulties of an eagerly awaited attack


Karim Benzema is certainly not the only responsible, but the French center forward has embodied the difficulties of the blue attack against Hungary since the start of the tournament.

His replacement by Olivier Giroud a quarter of an hour from the end of the match did not surprise anyone, as the Madrilenian seemed to be in withdrawal after a first period on two occasions which should have brought him to the fore.

Yes, but there you go. Expected as the messiah since May 18 and his recall by Deschamps in the selection, the native of Lyon is still chasing his first goal in a Euro after his participations in 2008, 2012 and 2021. We do not know how heavy the penalty missed during of the first friendly match against Wales (3-0 victory). But we assume that this failure is not neutral and that another outcome would have released Benzema from a pressure that continues to escort him. “At Real Madrid, he is used to evolving under pressure, but here we are with the selection. He was away from it for more than five years, recalls Robert Pirès, the consultant of M 6. The wait around him is enormous. You play for your country, and even when your name is Benzema, with all his talent, the emotional charge is not the same. "

To read also Hungary-France (1-1): the notes of the Blues

His joy increased tenfold during the goal denied against Germany in the second half betrayed the fierce hope attached to this first goal.

And his unscrewed strike at the half-hour mark against Hungary manifests just as much the blockages that continue to inhabit a player with an extraordinary technical mastery.

But the concern does not arise from this ineffectiveness alone (2 shots including 1 on target).

Against the Hungarians, "Benz" appeared borrowed from the game and little connected with the other two attackers, Mbappé (5 assists) and Griezmann (5 assists).

Able to evolve in rebates, he accompanied the game less than he had done during the friendly or even, in sequences, against Germany. "I found him physically withdrawn, and in fact his partners had difficulty finding him", analyzes Robert Pirès. Can this decline in physical power combined with its ineffectiveness encourage Didier Deschamps to let his 33-year-old striker rest against Portugal? Saturday, the coach did not let anything filter his intentions. But he reaffirmed his attachment to his number 19 which he drew from his banishment. "I do not think that Karim has doubts given his background and his experience, reacts the coach. He does some very good things but he fails to materialize. He knows that he is expected on this aspect, even though I told him:

It's not just that.

The main thing is that he keeps his confidence. And let him keep my confidence. Today it is intact. And as Olivier Giroud did not make a sensational entry in the last quarter of an hour, the Madrilenian always keeps one step ahead.

Source: leparis

All sports articles on 2021-06-24

You may like

Trends 24h

Latest

© Communities 2019 - Privacy

The information on this site is from external sources that are not under our control.
The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.