Champions League: Ranking the top 5 strikers before the 2021-22 competition begins

3. Real Madrid ST Karim Benzema

A major reason behind Real Madrid’s LaLiga triumph in 2019/20 was Karim Benzema and to say that he continued his heroics into season 2020/21 would be an understatement. In an injury-riddled season, Benzema has pretty much been the only goal threat scoring 30 goals in 46 appearances, per FBref.

In LaLiga alone, the Frenchman scored 23 times and assisted nine goals. Leading the attack single-handedly, Benzema showed a lot of intent in sensing opportunities and exploiting spaces. His creativity and ability to involve a lot of teammates in a single attacking move is what makes him a lethal striker and that makes his entry into this list inevitable.

Karim Benzema also had several key performances the past season that remained season-defining. May it be his crucial goal involvements in El Derbi or El Clasico or even his campaign-saving brace against Borussia Monchengladbach in the Champions League, King Karim has performed at times when it mattered the most. This season too, Benzema has been pivotal for Los Blancos so far with two goals and three assists in three matches.

Benzema missed out on action for a short while due to an injury problem and his absence clearly showed how much Real Madrid’s current attacking set-up depends on him. He is the main man forward. He is the one that most of the moves go through. His brilliance in front of goal and in creating attacks rightly landed him up with the French National Team for the Euros where the Frenchman put on his national colors after six long years.