Karim Benzema provided further evidence of his importance to Real Madrid with direct involvement in three of their goals in their 4-0 win away to Granada on Saturday.
Benzema set up Ronaldo to fire in from inside the area for the opener, flicked the ball into the path of James Rodriguez to finish superbly on the volley for the second and then scored the third himself from Ronaldo’s neat backheeled assist.
The Frenchman also contributed to the fourth goal, laying the ball right to Alvaro Arbeloa, whose deflected low cross was forced in at the far post by Rodriguez.
Benzema was far from Madrid’s only impressive performer on Saturday. Indeed, with Ancelotti’s side playing such attractive and effective football, it is perhaps a little unfair on his teammates to pick out the Frenchman as being particularly worthy of applause.
Luka Modric barely put a foot wrong all afternoon, completing a wide variety of passes with near-perfect accuracy, as per FourFourTwo Statszone. Isco and Toni Kroos also impressed, while Ronaldo and Rodriguez both produced superb finishes for their first-half goals.
Madrid’s defence were strong and attentive, with Iker Casillas untroubled for the large majority of the match.
Yet Benzema’s well-taken goal and two excellent assists, in combination with his all-round forward play, still merits special praise. He could even have had two further assists had Marcelo and Alvaro Arbeloa finished good chances he laid on for them during the second half.
Earlier in the season, when Benzema was struggling to score on a regular basis, one Marca columnist suggested it would perhaps be best if he took on a different shirt number. The argument was simple: why should a player who contributes so much to the team be saddled with the expectation of matching the scoring records of famous Madrid No. 9’s such as Alfredo Di Stefano, Santillana and Hugo Sanchez?
But in recent weeks, Benzema has been both facilitator and finisher. He scored once against Ludogorets, twice against both Athletic Bilbao and Liverpool and once more in the Clasico win over Barcelona. His goal and two assists against Granada mean that he has now been involved in nine goals in his last five Primera Division and Champions League appearances.
Benzema’s scoring run began prior to Madrid’s switch to a 4-4-2—a change that has given the side better balance and the ability to more effectively control possession—but like a number of his teammates, he seems to be benefiting from the new formation.
In the three-man forward line he played more of a support role than that of an out-and-out striker. He consistently moved into the channels to open up space for Ronaldo and Gareth Bale to move infield. Now, up front alongside Ronaldo, he more regularly finds himself in scoring positions.
Per Ruben Jimenez of Marca , Benzema already had an excellent record against Andalusian teams prior to Saturday’s match. He scored against Almeria, Betis, Granada and Sevilla last season and began the current campaign with a goal in the home win over Cordoba.
His strike against Granada in last season’s equivalent fixture proved to be the winning goal. He was similarly decisive on Saturday, repaying Carlo Ancelotti for the faith he has shown in him from the very start of the season.
Even when the goals weren’t coming, Ancelotti emphasised, as per ESPN FC , that he was more than happy with Benzema’s overall contribution to the team.
Now Benzema is both scorer and provider. He is Madrid's joint-leader in league assists and their second top scorer, as per Soccerway. The 26-year-old will continue to be an integral part of their quest for honours between now and next May.
//from Bleacher Report http://ift.tt/1DHaZj0
via IFTTT November 01, 2014 at 10:28AM
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