5 Real Madrid players who must step up with Karim Benzema injured

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Rodrygo Goes and Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid (Photo by Diego Souto/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images) /

4. Vinicius Junior

After discussing an unlikely option whose chances of appearing for the club remain doubtful as always, we now turn to someone whose appearance is a guarantee. Vinicius Junior has been Real’s answer to its oppositions whenever Benzema is kept quiet or isn’t available. He is someone who can handle the goal-scoring duties as he showed us in the last game against La Real.

With Benzema injured, every single person interested in Real Madrid, be it the coach, assisting staff, fans, players, or board member, everyone would turn their hopes on to Vini. He is that reliable, he wasn’t but this season he has shown he is capable. He scored in the game against Elche when Benzema wasn’t available, he scored a stunning winner against Sevilla. He is showing all signs of taking up the team’s responsibility. The young man is really coming of age!

3. Rodrygo Goes

Continuing the attacking setup I proposed from the first slide, playing Vini and Hazard on the wings and Rodrygo centrally could be one way of lining up. And when talking about the player who needs to step up most, it would obviously be the one taking up Benzema’s role, Rodrygo Goes.

He can handle that role. Firstly, he is good with linkups and smart exchanges. Secondly, his touches are laser-guided. That one smart turn inside the box against Sheriff is still very clear in my memory. He is a smart user of the little space available and lastly, he is a good shooter. Quite Benzema-Esque, right?

Although his goal tally doesn’t clearly show these claims I made, it is a fact that he finishes well whenever he does. Look no far than his two goals in the Champions League this season. Rodrygo was always rated higher than Vini in all fans’ minds until Vini showed us who he really is, Real’s ultimate protagonist. With Benzema injured, if Rodrygo does get his chances to finish, he must do that clinically. He has a great shot at permanently establishing himself at the highest spot in the pecking order with no doubts whatsoever.

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