Football Special Report: Karim Benzema- The Hat-Trick Hero For Real Madrid
The assistant manager of Real Madrid, Aitor Karanka, believes that the hat-trick performance by Karim Benzema against Auxerre in the midweek would prove to be great news for the striker and Real Madrid as well.
Jose Mourinho was serving a touchline ban and was replaced by Aitor Karanka on the bench. Real Madrid had already qualified for the next round of Champions League, so this victory was a cherry on the top. After the match, Karanka praised Karim Benzema for
his great performance that saw Madrid winning by 4-0. The assistant manager said that the goal scored by Benzema against Ajax, in Amsterdam, was good for the Frenchman but this performance would prove to be vital in regaining his confidence.
Karim Benzema was also very happy with his goal-scoring form in the Champions League. He told the press that he is regaining his place in the current team and he has worked hard to do that. Benzema also acknowledged that he was getting more playing time
in Madrid because Gonzalo Higuain is missing due to an injury, but the French striker hoped that his teammate returns to first team soon.
Real Madrid had a great Champions League campaign this season, as they got 16 points out of a possible 18, and is still unbeaten in the competition. The final match was not a difficult one for Madrid, but in Mourinho’s absence from the bench the full-strength
team was chosen. In the end, Madrid had an easy outing as they scored four goals, three of which were scored by Karim Benzema and one by Cristiano Ronaldo.
The good news for Madrid was the hat-trick scored by the Frenchman. Karim Benzema was struggling at Bernebeu in terms of goal-scoring since he joined the team from Lyon in 2009. Even this season, the striker has largely failed to impress his manager, Jose
Mourinho, and was proving to be a liability for the team. He had scored only three goals this season, in all competitions, before the midweek Champions League clash, while Cristiano Ronaldo has already scored 21 in all competitions. However, the hat-trick
performance would help him regain his poise and also restore some his confidence in the eyes of Jose Mourinho.
The real problem for Karim Benzema was that there was no place available for him in the first team of Real Madrid. Ever since he arrived at Bernebeu, Benzema has been struggling to get his place in the first team but he lost the place to more prolific goal-scorers
like Gonzalo Higuain and Cristiano Ronaldo. Therefore, the French striker had to play a limited role as a substitute on the bench or a replacement in case someone gets injured.
Although, some of the players prove to be great when they are coming from the bench but Benzema had a hard time coming as a substitute. The striker needed some playing time in order to regain his lost confidence but the chances were few and far between.
Therefore, the injury to Gonzalo Higuain was a blessing in disguise for the striker who now had a chance to play for longer periods and to prove his worth to the side.
It is great news for Real Madrid as well, because the team needed a little support from the French striker. With Higuain sidelined, Ronaldo is the only player in the team who finds goals consistently for the team. This creates problems because it puts a
lot of pressure on one player who can fail under extreme stress, like the match against Barcelona. Therefore, it is important that there is another player present in the team who can be trusted sometimes to find important goals. In this way, the players play
with less stress on their mind which can prove to be instrumental in big matches.
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