Is Karim Benzema the best player in the world?

The French striker has been a key part of one of the most successful sides of the last decade and yet it only feels like he is now getting his deserved recognition.  

He is currently having his best ever season and Real Madrid could be on the cusp of a historic treble winning season.  

 

Goals 

Karim Benzema has scored over 400 career goals, but at the age of 34 he is now in the process of having his greatest ever goalscoring season. 

Up until this campaign, his best goalscoring season came in 2010/11, where he scored 32 goals across all competitions. 

This season the Frenchman has already scored 39 goals, as well as chipping in with 12 assists. 

He has overperformed his xG in La Liga by 4.5 goals and he ranks as the fifth most clinical player in the Spanish league.  

The Champions League has brought more eyes to Benzema’s brilliance this season though as he currently sits as the competitions second top goalscorer with 12 goals, just one behind Robert Lewandowski.  

The 34-year-old currently ranks as the most clinical player in the Champions League, having overperformed his xG in Europe by 5.3 goals. 

His hat-tricks against PSG and Chelsea helped Real Madrid qualify for the semi-finals and Benzema could have one eye on a Champions League goalscoring record. 

The current record for the most goals scored in one season is held by his former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored 17 goals in Madrid’s 13/14 campaign. Benzema will need to score five goals in his remaining matches to level up CR7’s record. 

Now that Benzema is the focal point of Real Madrid’s attacks, it will come as no surprise to learn that he is averaging more shots per 90 than ever before. 

This season Benzema has averaged 3.9 shots per 90 in La Liga and 4.3 shots per 90 in the Champions League.  

His shooting statistics have dramatically increased following the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo in 2018.  

In Ronaldo’s final season with Real Madrid, Benzema took just two shots per 90, a number which has pretty much doubled since. 

His goalscoring record has been consistent throughout the season, but Benzema’s most recent run of form is impossible to ignore. 

The Frenchman has 19 goal contributions in his last 10 matches and he doesn’t look like he’ll be slowing down anytime soon.  

 

Assists 

While Karim Benzema is currently one of the best goalscorers in Europe, his game isn’t simply limited to his goal output. 

Whilst also having his best goalscoring season, Benzema is also on the cusp of having his best creative season.  

The most assists he has produced in a La Liga season was in 2012/13 when he picked up 11 assists and he has already been able to match that tally this season.  

Benzema has the fourth most shot-creating actions in La Liga with 103 so far this season, only Nabil Fekir, Iker Muniain and Vinicius Júnior have created more than him. 

His work rate also shouldn’t go unnoticed as he currently ranks within the top 150 La Liga players for pressures, with 240 pressures this season.  

 

What’s possible for Real Madrid this season? 

Throughout his Real Madrid career, Karim Benzema has already enjoyed a trophy filled decade, but this season could still be one of their most successful yet. 

Benzema has won three league titles and four Champions Leagues with Madrid, but he has only won the league and European double once, in 2016/17. 

Real Madrid already have one trophy in the bag this season too, with the Supercopa de España which they won in January.  

Carlo Ancelotti’s side are currently 15 points clear at the top of La Liga and Real Madrid are currently nine games unbeaten when Benzema has been present in the squad.