Real Madrid: Karim Benzema’s legacy has been cemented

Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema may have drawn some criticism for a scoring slump in the second half of the season, but even his critics understand his legacy is solidified.

We continue to see “Decade XIs” proliferate across our Twitter timelines in 2020, and it can be frustrating whenever Real Madrid center forward Karim Benzema is left off some of these lists. Benzema may not have captured as many headlines or scored as many goals as, say, Zlatan Ibrahimovic or Luis Suarez, but he played an instrumental role in four Champions League titles and countless domestic trophies.

Benzema is a one-of-a-kind center forward. He seems to derive more pleasure from assisting and helping others shine than scoring himself, which is rare for a No. 9. But Benzema’s style of play, which includes some of the most underrated dribbling skills and a never-say-die motor on the defensive end, is anything but typical.

For years, Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo formed the perfect partnership in attack. And Benz was more than willing to make way for others, whether it was prolific poacher Gonzalez Higuain or the irresistibly explosive Gareth Bale.

At the age of 32, Benzema is entering his final years of peak productivity for Real Madrid, as he’s been the club’s best attacker – and it’s really not even close – over the past two seasons.

There’s a lot of pressure on Benzema to produce, because he’s been the only viable goal-scorer. The former France international was the only player on Los Blancos with more than five goals in La Liga last season, so when he slumped as a scorer in the second half of the season, the criticisms started to fly.

But even Benzema’s harshest current critics understand this clear truth: Benzema is a true Madrid legend whose legacy has been cemented over the years. Even as we understand that Los Merengues need someone like Kylian Mbappe to lead the way on the scoresheet, this understanding stems from a broader acknowledgment of Benzema as a center forward.

Benzema thrives when he has a Batman to his Robin – a winger who can lead the way as a scorer and allow the No. 9 to be the unselfish table-setter that he is.

He’s recorded 10 assists in a season on three occasions in his career, including 15 goals and 10 assists in the 2014-2015 La Liga campaign.

Beyond the assists and 162 career goals for Los Blancos, Benzema is important as a veteran on the team who helps the younger players. Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo Goes, and others have clearly benefited from Benzema’s calmness and willingness to provide pointers. Benzema instills confidence in those around him, particularly the younger players who will lean on his experience in 2020-2021.

It’s hard to think of a more well-rounded striker in the modern era than Benzema, who, in many ways, wasn’t really a “striker” or even a “center forward”. He’s been his own man – a creative No. 9 who can wreak havoc on the wings while still heading in game-winning goals around the six-yard box. Benzema, like his literal style of play, doesn’t fit into a box, and when the team around him is built appropriately, that ends being an invaluable asset to Real Madrid.