Benzema vs Lewandowski: Who’s more beneficial for their team?

A big focus is on Karim Benzema and Robert Lewandowski this week, after both scored a hat-trick to help see their respective teams through to the next round of the Champions League knockout stage.

Both are two of the hottest forwards in Europe this season, but who actually contributes the most to their team's success?

 

Goals (League only)

Benzema: 20

Lewandowski: 28

 

Lewandowksi has been the talk of the last few seasons for his goal scoring ability and how he has taken it to another, Ballon d’Or-worthy level. And rightfully so. He scored 34 goals in the 2019/20 season, 41 goals last season and already has 28 goals this season.

However, Benzema’s improved goal scoring rate should not be cast aside. Ever since Cristiano Ronaldo left Real Madrid, Benzema has been able to flourish.

In Ronaldo’s last season at Real, Benzema scored just five goals all season. The very next campaign, he had 21. 

This season is looking to be his most prolific domestic season in his whole career. He has 20 goals already scored in La Liga, which does have him at number one by some distance, and there are still 11 games to play to the end of the year.

 

Goals per 90 mins

Benzema: 0.92

Lewandowski: 1.16

 

At 34 years old for Benzema and 33 years old for Lewandowski, both players aren’t expected to play the full 90 minutes for every game in a season these days.

However, they both still do make the most of the time that they spend on the pitch.

Once again, Lewandowski takes the crown as the better scorer from the two per 90 minutes. In fact, he sits joint-second on the list in this category for all players in the ‘Big Five’ leagues.

Erling Haaland is top, although he has played a lot less games than Lewandowski this season, and Patrick Schick, who Lewandowski shares second with, has alos played less games.

But Benzema’s rate is just as respectable. He finds himself occupying fourth on the same list all by himself.

Suffice to say, these two are amongst the very best scorers in Europe this year.

 

Penalties scored/ attempted

Benzema: 4/5

Lewandowski: 3/3

 

Both players are their teams’ primary penalty taker, and for good reason. 

Benzema has taken all but one of Real Madrid’s penalties this season and has a very solid penalty conversion rate of 80% this season. He has only missed three penalties in his entire domestic league career.

Lewandowski has been Bayern’s primary penalty taker for many seasons now. This year in the Bundesliga hasn’t been their most fruitful year for penalties. However, when he is given the chance, he doesn’t miss.

 

Assists

Benzema: 10

Lewandowski: 1

 

Here is where the real difference is made. 

Lewandowski is an outright goal scorer. His job for Bayern is purely to put the ball into the back of the net, which he does fantastically.

Benzema, on the other hand, is more of a centre-forward than an outright striker like Lewandowski, meaning he sits slightly further back.

Because of this, he brings his wingers more into play, and as such, finds himself setting up goal scoring chances and getting assists often.

 

Goal + Assists per 90 mins

Benzema: 1.37

Lewandowski: 1.20

 

Once again, this stat showcases Benzema’s ability to bring his teammates into play and how adept he is at getting the ball into the back of the net, whether through him or his teammates.

His difference in this stat compared to just the goals per 90 minutes is quite monumental, especially compared to Lewandowski’s difference.

Benzema’s rate of 1.37 for this stat has him in second from every player in the ‘Big Five’ leagues. Once again, Haaland is top but has less games played.

But let's not brush over how impressive Lewandowski’s rate is, as that rate of 1.20 still has him in fifth on the list when it is almost all goals.

 

Point per match

Benzema: 2.33

Lewandowski: 2.36

 

The closest stat these two superstar players have had, it goes without saying that Real Madrid and Bayern benefit from having their guy on the pitch.

Lewandowski just edges Benzema out as Bayern has played 25 games this season, with 19 wins, two draws and four losses. Real Madrid has played 27 games with 19 wins, 6 draws and four losses.

More importantly, Lewandowski has played and started all 25 games, while Benzema has played and started 24 of Real's 27 games.

 

Plus/Minus per 90 mins

Benzema: +1.24

Lewandowski: +1.95

 

This final stat shows the real benefits to their respective teams that both players have.

The plus/minus per 90 minutes statistic is worked out by taking the goals scored by the team minus the goals allowed by the team while the player was on the pitch per 90 minutes.

Each brings great qualities to their sides and provide positive improvements to their attacks, but it seems Lewandowski’s goal scoring adds more to Bayern than what Benzema adds to Real Madrid.

Ultimately, if you’re purely looking for just goals and someone who can get you 30+ a season, then Robert Lewandowski is the guy. But if you’re after a more rounded, complete forward who can score and create goals, then they don’t come much better than Karim Benzema