Real Madrid vs. Atletico Madrid: 4 things to watch on Matchday 13

More goals from Karim Benzema

If I were a team facing against Real Madrid, I would be very scared of Karim Benzema right now. He is the kind of striker who can absolutely bury you when he’s in form, and it looks like he’s about to find his groove after scoring twice in the must-win match against Borussia Monchengladbach.

Although Benzema, admittedly, hasn’t always been at his best in 2020-2021, he’s scored a significant amount of goals in one patch. And we may be headed for another rich patch of goals from the No. 9.

Benzema won’t have it easy against Atleti’s defense, but he’s used to playing against this team. And again, he scored the matchwinner in the La Liga fixture between these two sides earlier in 2020. If this were to be another 1-0 Derbi, you’d want to bet on Benzema to score more than anyone else.

The biggest key for Real Madrid is the deliveries into the box for Benzema. Both crosses for his goals – from Lucas Vazquez and Rodrygo Goes – were sublime. Los Blancos need to ensure their service for Benzema gives him a chance to score, because if he gets a fair shot a couple of times in a match, he’s going to put one in the back of the net. And it’s going to take good finishing to beat a keeper of Jan Oblak’s impeccable quality.