Real Madrid: Will Karim Benzema prove big-game critics wrong against Sevilla?

Karim Benzema had a quiet performance against PSG on Wednesday, so critics of the Real Madrid forward have been reminding fans of his dubious goal-scoring record against top teams last year.

Although Real Madrid seem to be in a state of panic – at least, that’s the narrative portrayed by the media following a blowout loss to PSG – Karim Benzema has been an enormous bright spot through four La Liga games. Benzema’s four goals are a huge reason why Los Blancos are in third place despite a rash of injuries and some expected bumps while adjusting to Zindine Zidane’s vision in his second stint. (And Zidane’s own vision is under much adjustment.)

On Sunday, Real will travel to the Sanchez Pizjuan to face Sevilla and former manager Julen Lopetegui, who has his club in first place behind a stingy defense. Sevilla have surrendered just one goal in four games and will look to make a statement win against their rivals, while Los Blancos are just as desperate to grab three points to quiet doubts after that embarrassment in the Champions League.

Benzema will be a massive key to victory for Real, as he’s clearly the team’s main source of goals. And of course, Benzema has made a career off of dropping back or moving wide to help the forward around him; Eden Hazard’s success at Real could very well depend on his connection with the French forward.

Despite the fact that Benzema was by far Real’s best offensive player last year and has picked up where he left off this season, one subpar Champions League performance by the entire team has dug out an old question.

Can Benzema step up as Real Madrid’s breadwinner on offense in the biggest games?

Mario de la Riva of AS pointed out that Benzema scored just one goal against top-six La Liga teams last season, even though he scored 21 total goals in La Liga.

What’s more interesting than the statistics is the fact that this frequently happens with star strikers at high-pressured clubs. And there’s a simple explanation for why strikers don’t score as much against top clubs; it’s harder to score against them.

The other issue is that a poor goal-scoring record against top clubs from a striker isn’t necessarily an indictment of the striker’s abilities, but rather the team’s ability to create chances. That can be down to issues in midfield or a manager’s tactics, as managers who get outcoached by managers at top clubs tend to create systems that are exploited and don’t serve the forwards.

These tactical and support issues were clear and obvious (to steal a phrase from VAR) against PSG. Benzema carved a couple of chances for himself at the end of the game, but, for the most part, he received zero service as the likes of Eden Hazard, James Rodriguez, and Toni Kroos were completely neutralized by PSG’s elite defense and defensive midfield.

Sevilla have been particularly stingy defensively this season, presenting a unique challenge for a maligned and injured Real midfield and scheme. Benzema has been entrusted to carry this team to victory from an offensive standpoint until Hazard hits the ground running, and even when Hazard plays at a superstar level, Real will still need Benz to both score goals and put in the dirty work to serve Gareth Bale and Hazard.

But the main focus will be on his goals, particularly in important matchups like Sevilla. Though Sevilla’s defense has been great this season, they have never been tested. All of their games have come against mediocre or below-average La Liga teams, so Real, who are among the leaders in Europe in shots per game, will be a different story.

Benzema has a great opportunity to prove the doubters wrong by exposing the weaknesses in Sevilla’s defense, specifically the centerbacks and support in midfield. In doing so, Benzema could put to bed the concerns that he can’t step up against quality opponents. Given that he is among the all-time leading Champions League scorers, you’d think this would be a non-issue, but the recency bias of Real’s loss to PSG means that knee-jerk reactions will encompass the entire roster. Even the forward who has been the team’s key to victory over the past year.