Real Madrid: Three players who need to step up in the absence of Karim Benzema
Real Madrid is without their captain Sergio Ramos, Dani Carvajal, Eden Hazard, Fede Valverde, Rodrygo Goes, Alvaro Odriozola, Marcelo, and Eder Militao for the UEFA Champions League Round-of-16 clash against Atalanta. And the latest addition to the injury list is their attacking leader Karim Benzema.
Karim Benzema has been Real Madrid’s best attacker since Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure. He has 17 goals and 5 assists this season in all competitions, including four goals in the greatest competition of Europe. He has been a big game player for Real Madrid.
He is the link between the attack and the midfield and Real Madrid might find it difficult to cope in his absence. But Real Madrid has to find a way to win the game without Benzema, and there is a desperate need for other players to do well in his absence. So let us have a look at three players who have to step up in the absence of Benzema.
Vinicius Junior
Vinicius in his third season at Real Madrid. He impressed everyone with his daring performances in the 2018/19 season, under the management of Santiago Solari. Then Zidane came back, and after a few months Hazard also arrived to be the first choice left-winger. Vinicius couldn’t have expected to get a lot of minutes under Zidane, but with Hazard’s frequent injuries he got to play a lot in the 2019/20 season. He had enough game time, but the expected development isn’t visible.
He has improved in a few aspects of his game, but there hasn’t been much improvement in his end-product, something for which he has always been criticised. He is still the same electric winger who tries to beat a player using his pace and acts as the chief ball-carrier who doesn’t guarantee you a goal or an assist at the end. He has 3 goals and 4 assists this season, including one in the Champions League, but he hasn’t performed up to the level of expectations Real Madrid have.
He has struggled against teams that implement a low block and force him wide, but he has been promising in big games against tougher oppositions who offer him some space. He has been very threatening against teams like Barcelona, Manchester City, Sevilla, Real Sociedad in the past year. This time it is a big game again, and he has to step up big time, without his mentor Karim Benzema beside him.
If he improves his finishing he can be a great goalscorer, but he also needs to get into those scoring positions for that to happen. And in the last few games, he hasn’t even attempted any shot and his teammates are backing away from passing the ball to the 20-year-old Brazilian. These are signs of low confidence and a lack of faith from teammates. But he needs to understand that attempting lesser shots will only lead to his downfall. Escaping criticism by not attempting a shot won’t lead to any improvement.
With the chief goalscorer unavailable, there’s a need for wingers to show their goalscoring abilities and step up in that department. And it’s Vini’s responsibility to step up. He just needs to ignore the criticism, believe in himself and stay cool before the goal. If he can score a goal or be impactful in this game against Atalanta, it can be the turning point of his season.