Up to the semi-queens: The season of Karim Benzema's life culminates in the Champions' semi-finals

Ancelotti did not hesitate to expect him to score 50 goals a season, his teammates did not shy away from being dependent on him, and after the departure of Zidane and Ronaldo he removed all the stars and soared to new heights.

After the bastard penalty in Manchester, is the French striker capable of taking Real Madrid on his shoulders until the Champions League final?

Michael Yochin

04/05/2022

Wednesday, 04 May 2022, 15:00

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Ticked: Today's Summary Clip, 3.5 (Sports 1)

Karim Benzema did not have to play on Saturday.

The championship was already in Real Madrid's pocket, and the home game against Espanyol was light and fun.

Carlo Ancelotti left his French scorer on the bench, and the team got along just fine as well.

A pair of Rodrigo, a fine goal by Marco Asensio, 0: 3 after less than an hour - and everything was ready for the championship celebrations.

It might have made sense to keep the big star fresh and fresh ahead of the huge rematch against Manchester City in the Champions League semi-final.

Benzema, however, had other plans.

He did not want to stay out of the coronation game.

He wanted to be there, albeit for a short time, to put the ball in the net and write his name on the board when Real secured his fourth championship.

He then received a fantastic wide delivery from Vinicius, in a collaboration that this season has become telepathic and amazing, scoring with his seemingly “weak” left foot.

It was Benzema's 42nd goal in 42 games in all competitions, and that too is of special importance.

He is approaching the goal set by his boss in the summer.

When Ancelotti was asked in June about the possibility that Real would not be able to sign a new striker and would have to wait with the arrival of Killian Ambape, the coach replied with a smile: "This is not a problem. Benzema will just have to score 50 goals instead of 30."

Did he joke?

maybe yes, maybe no.

The truth was probably somewhere in the middle.

This was not an entirely serious goal, but it was necessary to convey two main messages to the Frenchman.

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Did not want to miss the celebration on the grass either.

Karim Benzema on Saturday (Photo: GettyImages, Angel Martinez)

First, it continues to be an integral part of the plans regardless of what happens in the Ambape and Saint-Germain sectors.

Second, he is able to upgrade even further.

Benzema's personal season record was set a decade ago, in 2011/12, and stood at 32 conquests.

Last year he actually stopped at 30. Ancelotti knew that was really not the limit.

50?

It's been pretty ambitious, but if Leo Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Robert Lewandowski did it.

Why, in fact, should Benzema not aspire there?

Benzema knew he could count on Ancelotti with his eyes closed.

In the spring of 2014, during the Italian king's previous term at the Santiago Bernabeu, there were reports in Spain of the possibility of signing Luis Suarez from Liverpool.

The Uruguayan was supposed, according to Florentino Perez's plan, to replace the Frenchman and create a formidable edge alongside Ronaldo.

It is not known how advanced these contacts were, but Ancelotti made it clear to the president unequivocally that he preferred Benzema.

and so it was.

Suarez eventually moved to Barcelona, ​​thus forming an MSN trio that completely took over the consciousness.

Had an average Real fan been asked then about Ancelotti's choice, he probably would not have reacted positively.

With all the appreciation that was in the capital for Benzema's contribution and his ability to vacate territories for Ronaldo, his image was not brilliant in those days.

The public humiliation he suffered at the time from Jose Mourinho was still a trio in memory, and in general there was a considerable feeling that the Whites needed a better quality striker with a higher percentage of utilization of opportunities.

In the stands they would take Suarez with both hands.

No one knows how history would have developed in such a scenario, but today - in Ancelotti's second term - everyone is happy that Benzema remains.

Benzema knew he could count on him with his eyes closed.

Carlo Ancelotti (Photo: Reuters)

The Frenchman himself has never had a problem with Ronaldo's toolbar label.

"Cristiano did not limit me, he was just better than me. For me he is the greatest player of all time," he declared recently.

After the departure of the main star, the responsibility for the conquests passed to his shoulders, and he just got better every year.

As you can see in the last two months, this process is still going on, and may look even better in Nazma next season.

One thing is for sure - at the age of 34 he finally came to the recognition he had always deserved.

"We are dependent on Benzema, and happy with it," Ancelotti said before the meetings against Chelsea in the quarter-finals.

One can, of course, not get excited about this happiness.

Excessive dependence on any player is detrimental to the team, and Real felt it well in the 4-0 defeat at the Clasico when Benzema was injured.

Bayern Munich, who voluntarily chose to be very dependent on Lebandowski, were also relegated last season from the Champions League in the quarter-finals by PSG, mainly because the Pole was injured at an unfortunate time in his team's unnecessary game against Andorra.

All this is true, and it is highly desirable that Benzema's backup would not be Luca Jovic for whom 70 million euros were paid for some reason, but this phenomenon also has positive aspects.

A star's self-confidence, on which the team chooses to depend, soars to new heights.

For Benzema, this is even more significant.

For many years he heard that he was held only because of the coordination with Ronaldo, and then that he was held only because he was a French-Algerian like Zinedine Zidane.

So now there is no Ronaldo and no Zidane - there is only Benzema in all his glory, entirely in his own right.

All the asterisks have been completely removed, and the game is built around its brilliant qualities.

So he is not only the top scorer in Spain with 26 conquests, but also the top scorer in the league with 11 assists, and also the top scorer in the Champions League.

The only ones to score three goals in two consecutive playoff games.

Ronaldo with Benzema (Photo: GettyImages, Joe Prior / Visionhaus)

Benzema is the only one besides Ronaldo to score a hat-trick in two consecutive playoff games - a maddening achievement against top rivals PSG and Chelsea.

Now, he has a deal with Manchester City, and he bombed a formidable double that left Real likely to qualify in a 4-3 loss to England last week.

Even the penalty, after two misses from the penalty spot against Osasuna a few days earlier, he kicked like Andrea Pirlo against Joe Hart in Euro 2012. The mischievous smile after this bounce is reserved only for players who believe in themselves completely, in any situation.

So now he has to complete the task reciprocally, and all the stands at the Santiago Bernabeu will push him forward.

And if he scores again, maybe more than one goal, he will also take a huge step towards the 50 goals that Ancelotti "demanded" of him.

If he reaches the final, a new game will be added where you can score more.

In the league he has 4 rounds left, against Atletico Madrid, Levante, Cadiz and Betis.

In total, 8 goals are required in 5, or maybe 6, games.

possible?

Of course it is.

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• Karim Benzema

• Carlo Ancelotti