Some
people may have forgotten that Karim Benzema was a part of the trio of big name
signings Real Madrid have signed last summer since he is the only one who is
yet to prove his worth to the team. Kaka and Ronaldo have been world-class
players even before arriving to Santiago Bernabeu and they certainly didn’t
disappoint but we all know there is more to come from them and especially the
Frenchman, who found it hard being a fringe player at Los Merengues. The
three-week injury lay-off for Gonzalo Higuain may be the perfect chance for
Benzema to command a starting place and finally show Real fans what a great
player he is.
Benzema
came through the youth ranks at Lyon and he
didn’t need a lot of time to prove his undoubted potential. Together with Hatem
Ben Arfa, he was recognized as one of the brightest talents in France and he went on to score 67 goals during
five seasons as a professional at Lyon. He was
one of the most sought-after players in Europe
when he opted to join Real and even though everybody expected him to be an
instant hit, not everything went as planned.
Benzema’s
fiery temperament hasn’t exactly helped him settle at Santiago Bernabeu, and
that was probably one of the reasons why he was mostly restricted to substitute
appearances. One could argue he failed to fulfill his remarkable potential in Madrid but it is never
easy to show everything you know in just 15 or 20 minutes, especially when
being under such a big pressure.
Nevertheless,
I certainly believe the Frenchman will prove his worth at Real as soon as he is
given a prolonged run in the starting 11 and Higuain’s recent injury could
prove to be a blessing in disguise for Los Merengues. Benzema is such a good
player to have in the team even though he sometimes look indifferent on the
football pitch. His flair and vision can help Manuel Pellegrini’s side change
the course of the game, while his Primera record so far is more than flattering
considering he started most of the games from the substitutes’ bench. Benzema
scored 5 in set up as many goals in just 15 league appearances and the soccer stats prove he’s been quite useful despite what some people would say. Mark my words,
he’ll come good in no time.
