Real Madrid: 5 players who are poised for a big February 2020
CF Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema scored his 18th goal of the 2019-2020 campaign on Saturday afternoon, beating Jan Oblak easily after left back Ferland Mendy set him up on a golden platter. The former France international’s goal against Los Rojiblancos snapped a streak of five La Liga games without a goal, including two goalless draws against FC Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao to close 2019.
When Hazard returns to the lineup, Benzema will be unstoppable again. The month of November was huge for both attackers, as they were able to get on the same page and devastate defense. That month, Benzema scored seven goals with two assists across both the Champions League and La Liga.
Expect more jaw-dropping numbers from Benzema in February. Vinicius and Mendy are playing with more confidence than ever on the left, and when Hazard comes back, Benz will have his best service.
LB Ferland Mendy
It’s hard to overstate how great the early returns on Ferland Mendy have been for Real Madrid. In just his first handful of months with the club after signing from Lyon in the summer, Mendy has proven to be one of the absolute best left backs in the world. His defensive prowess has been there to see since Day 1, and now he’s turned into a real asset in the attack.
Mendy plays smart, simple passes, makes amazing runs off the ball, has speed to burn, and has gotten increasingly better at taking defenders on. Furthermore, Mendy’s technique and control have shown signs of improvement, and he’s even putting in some threatening crosses when asked to.
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Madridistas should look forward to Mendy being the full-time starter over Marcelo in February, and it will be exciting to see how he and Hazard link up. The Hazard/Mendy connection isn’t quite at the level of the Hazard/Benzema connection, which has telepathic potential, but it’s certainly something to be buzzing about, especially in light of Mendy’s continued success.