With Benzema out, will we see the return of the BIC at Real Madrid?
By Alex McVey
With Benzema out, Zinedine Zidane may have to revert to an attacking trio that’s worked wonders for him in the past: Bale, Isco, Cristiano – the BIC.
Necessity is the mother of invention, they say. Such may be the case at Real Madrid, as Zinedine Zidane’s top choice for strike-partner with Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, has been forced onto the injury list. Benzema picked up a hip injury that will see him miss the next three weeks of action.
The B-B-C, the attacking trident of Bale, Benzema, and Cristiano Ronaldo, made waves during Carlo Ancelotti’s first season in charge, becoming one of the most lethal attacking trios in world football. Since then, injuries and inconsistent form have seen the BBC experience a slow death. The BBC have not started a match for Real Madrid this season and only started 16 of 60 matches together last season, according to The Sun.
Bale’s persistent injury issues have forced Zidane to rely primarily on a 4-4-2 Diamond setup with Isco playing just behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema. The problem is, with Ronaldo becoming a more central striker, and Benzema already enjoying occupying space in the middle, Isco is required to drift around and do too much in a match, resulting in him ultimately doing too little, as was the case in Madrid’s 0-0 draw to Athletic Bilbao.
With Benzema out, Zidane may be forced to return to an attacking setup that worked well for him towards the beginning of the season: Bale, Isco, and Cristiano – The BIC. The BIC made up what Managing Madrid’s Joshua Sutter called “an incredibly dynamic and flexible attacking lineup” for Real Madrid against APOEL FC earlier in the Champions League. The connection between Bale and Ronaldo, spurred on by Isco’s ball-playing abilities, was at the heart of Madrid’s 3-0 dismantling of APOEL that match.
Bale offers a number of advantages over Benzema that make him a more useful player in Zidane’s Diamond setup. Bale’s pace makes him a better outlet on counter-attacks. He is also more useful in defense, something that could relieve some of Isco’s duties in the center of the pitch. Bale is also more likely to drift out wide and bring the ball in with impressive dribbling, or deliver pin-point crosses to Ronaldo from out wide. This would allow Isco to occupy a more central area just behind Ronaldo, something that would maximize Isco’s skill-set as a true No. 10.
This isn’t the only option Zidane has to replace Benzema. The availability of Asensio and Lucas Vazquez on the bench, two players who have become stalwarts for Zidane during his time at Madrid, means we may not see the BIC as a locked-in decision. After all, as effective as the BIC has been, we could also see the CIA – Cristiano, Isco, and Asensio, another partnership that has worked well for Zidane before.
Chances are, Zidane will not settle for just one option. Benzema’s injury absence will give Zidane an opportunity to experiment with a few different tactical setups. It will be interesting to see how Zidane manages this next period. If Gareth Bale can stay healthy, I personally think the BIC can light a spark for Real Madrid, and salvage something from this season in 2018.
Next: Why has Zidane not used his summer signings more?