Karim Benzema is in the form of his life. Though he hasn’t scored in two of his last three appearances, his tactical awareness and creativity have aided Real Madrid to produce positive results to their benefit in absence of big players in a crucial week of the season. In the league too, the Madrid No 9 has been a perfect ‘10’ with his performances and will make for a serious candidate for the league’s Player of the Year (POTY) award. Here are the reasons why Big Benz deserves to be considered for POTY in LaLiga.
1. Karim Benzema’s finishing has turned the season around
Deciding a league’s best player is always an intense affair. Truth be told, maintaining a good statistical record only makes the job half done. Last year, Karim Benzema was rated the player of the season in the league despite Lionel Messi’s individual masterclass of a season where he finished with the most number of goals and assists. And, the story this year has been similar so far.
On paper, Benzema has a decent record for a CF, which arguably is a tough position to play for Real Madrid. He has scored 19 goals and assisted for 6. This means he is nearing one goal contribution per match, having played 26 games for Los Blancos in the league so far. Messi, on the other hand, has 23 goals and 10 assists to his name, per WhoScored.com. A relatively better record than Benz, but it is the on-field impact that counts.
Halfway through the league campaign, Real Madrid was struggling, 10 points below leaders Atletico Madrid. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that from that point to today when they are in touching distance of the title, Benzema’s goals have been the difference. In a few matches in particular including El Clasico, El Derbi, and the matchups against Celta Vigo, Elche, and Athletic Club, it was Benzema’s finish that helped Real Madrid rescue a point or two. He has indeed turned the season around in a couple of months by finding the crucial finishes at the right time.
2. His tactical genius
LaLiga Awards provide for recognitions in all playing roles on the pitch – forward, midfield, defense, and goalkeeping. Therefore, determining a player as the Player of the Season is yet more challenging when it comes to transcending the regular roles of their position and contributing beyond what would traditionally be asked.
King Karim has been in a similar sort of role. Ever since his partnership with Cristiano Ronaldo ended, he has had the opportunity to lead the front line and be Real’s main goal scorer. Even then, he hasn’t given up on the skills he acquired as a provider while playing across from the Portuguese. He was known for drawing defenders onto him and releasing the ball for Ronaldo and he has continued utilizing his creativity this season too.
Even when Benz isn’t scoring he is has been handy for Madrid with his tactical genius. He has had six assists in the league and the number surely could have been better if it wasn’t for Vinicius Junior’s weary finishing skills and Asensio’s poor run of form for most of the season. Benzema’s movement in the final third has been spectacular.
He is averaging 1.2 dribbles per game and is finding one key pass per game, as per WhoScored.com. This just goes on to say that even if he isn’t directly assisting, his experience and accumulated genius are aiding into openings for Real Madrid, we had one straight example in Vini’s second goal vs. Liverpool at home. He is playing deep, leading buildups and counterattacks, and is being that experienced leader up front, capable of scoring, creating, assisting, and carrying the whole attack on his shoulders.
3. His value to Real Madrid
In my opinion, a player’s value to their club, rather than an over-the-top individual record, should be a determining factor in assessing the POTY in any league. And, undoubtedly Karim Benzema has been Real Madrid’s most valuable player this season. As stated earlier, his goals haven’t only been about the quantity but about how crucial they were and what they have meant in terms of the points table.
Outside his traditional job of scoring goals as a forward, it is key to note that Benzema has been trusted with few other responsibilities and has proven himself in them. The first is the absence of El Capitan Sergio Ramos. Benzema has appeared time and again with the Captain’s armband on his arm and time and again Real Madrid has succeeded under his leadership. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that Benzema has been more important than the captain himself for the club this season.
The second would be his job of partnering up with young forwards and leading a relatively under-experienced attack. Real Madrid’s second top scorer in the league is Carlos Casemiro with five goals that just goes on to say how underperforming the Real Madrid attack has been this season.
As such, Benzema’s job as an experienced fox upfront has been commendable. He has created openings for the likes of Vinicius and Asensio and has linked up pretty well, he has trusted Vini’s movement down the flanks and waited patiently for the ball to be released. He has made a few interesting comments about this role of his, too, saying he is setting the young guns up for the responsibility.
Last but not the least, he has been a great asset to Zinedine Zidane who evidently has great affection for the Frenchman. Benzema considers Zidane to be his elder brother more than his manager and he, in turn, has been Zidane’s blue-eyed boy. Every single time he was entrusted with any job, Benz has stepped up. His all-around performance this season makes his candidature for the POTY award stronger. Additionally, eight matchdays are remaining, and he would be expected to give a decent competition to Lionel Messi in the Pichichi race and further substantiate his case.