Karim Benzema returns to the Champions League, the territory in which the French striker always felt comfortable since his time at Olympique Lyon (12 goals in 19 games) and later at Real Madrid (58 goals in 107 games). There are already 70 goals in the first competition on the Old Continent for the striker from Lyon, just one behind Raúl González.
If Benzema scores today against Liverpool, he will equal the current Castilla manager in fourth position on the list of best gunners in the European Cup, behind only Lewandowski (73), Messi (120) and Cristiano (134). Only Benzema and the Pole have the option of expanding their respective accounts in this edition of the tournament, with Barcelona and Juventus eliminated. from the round of 16. Liverpool know well how Karim spends them in the Champions League.
Liverpool meet Benzema
The Reds are the second rival that Benzema has punished more times in Europe with the white jersey: four times, only surpassed by the five goals he has scored against Galatasaray. In the case of Liverpool, Benzema goes to more than one goal per game: two goals at Anfield in the group stage of the 2014-15 season, another in the return leg of the Bernabéu and one more in the final of Kiev 2018, that goal of Caught stealing Karius's wallet when he was going to take out.
If Klopp has thoroughly studied the Madrid that arrives at this appointment, he will know that Benzema now deserves special vigilance: he has scored seven games in a row, in which he scored nine goals (he missed two games through injury). He has 24 goals this season, scores one every 118 minutes and has between his eyes beaten his record at Real Madrid: the 32 goals he achieved in the 2015-16 campaign.