There's no doubt that Real Madrid are in trouble at the moment, and they're desperately searching for someone to pull them out of it. Karim Benzema could be that man.
Carlo Ancelotti 's side are not playing well, having failed to win any of their last three games, against Villarreal, Athletic Club and Schalke 04.
Their defeat against the German side nearly saw them turfed out of the Champions League, but they clung on for dear life and scraped their way into the quarter-finals.
More damaging were the La Liga results, which saw Barcelona return to the the top of the table, four months after Real Madrid had usurped them.
It means that a draw in the Clasico would be a good result for Barcelona; although knowing the gung -ho way they have entered games this season, they certainly won't be aiming for one.
There are plenty of things that have gone wrong for Real Madrid. From injuries to key men like Luka Modric , Sergio Ramos and James Rodriguez, to bad individual performances, like Iker Casillas ' against Schalke , it's hard to pick one reason that the walls are closing in on Carlo Ancelotti .
But instead of worrying about how they got into this mess, it's time to start thinking about how they will get out of it.
One big problem is the strike force being significantly less productive in recent months than it was in the first half of the season.
Gareth Bale has not scored or assisted for eight games, and Cristiano Ronaldo is now level with Lionel Messi on 30 La Liga goals, after being 13 ahead of him in mid-December.
And Benzema ? Well, the Frenchman has also declined in form and productivity, albeit not as dramatically as his two attacking partners.
Between September and November, Benzema notched 18 goals and assists in 14 games. In his last 14 matches, he has just seven.
Benzema has not stopped contributing completely, like Bale, but now he seems to be producing the odd moment of magic while his overall performances are lacking.
That was exemplified against Schalke . His goal was excellent, showing composure, speed of thought and a lethal finish, a rare moment in an otherwise weak display.
Perhaps Benzema 's malaise has been influenced by that of Ronaldo and Bale.
The Daily Mail showed that the striker's space was occupied by Ronaldo for much of the game against Schalke .
But Benzema is a clever player, and his hold-up play was a key factor in Madrid's fine form in the run-up to Christmas.
He is smart and knows how to work the channels. If his mind is set to the task, Benzema can give Barcelona's defence a torrid time during El Clasico .
Not everything is under his control, because if Benzema makes space for his team-mates and they don't exploit it, then what more can he do?
However, players like Bale and Ronaldo, whatever mood they are in, will not be able to resist some of the opportunities Benzema can create for them, if he's really working at his best level.
Having seen off Gonzalo Higuain , Benzema has established himself as Madrid's first-choice central striker, and you'd back him to overcome this slump and prove himself once again.
from Bleacher Report http://ift.tt/1Av94vr
via IFTTT March 13, 2015 at 07:54AM
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