Suspense with the ‘nine’

A few hours before the Parc des Princes match, it is still unknown if Benzema (34 years old) will be able to start or if, if he is, he is ready to play the 90 minutes. The feeling of Ancelotti and the footballer himself is that he is ready to play, and that is why the Frenchman commands the expedition that travels this morning to Paris, but the truth is that, since he was injured on January 23 against Elche in the hamstring of his left leg, the striker has only been able to do a small part of training with the rest of his teammates. It was in yesterday’s session, which fuels hopes that he can start. However, the decision is subject to the final test that the striker will carry out in Paris, where Madrid trains today in the Parc des Princes starting at 7:00 p.m.

Benzema’s dependence on the team is absolute. Not even Vinicius looks the same when he’s not on the pitch. In the last three games played consecutively by Madrid without the Frenchman (Athletic in the Cup, Granada and Villarreal), the team has only been able to score a goal after making 48 shots. Ancelotti has already begun to desperately look for solutions. He surprised Villarreal with his latest idea: to make Bale a pure nine (although he had not played for 168 days). The Italian was happy with the experiment. “He has had the opportunity and has delivered, he has been dangerous and has been able to score. He has done well,” the coach said of the Welshman. “He has shown that he is committed,” he said. Bale had three clear chances that Rulli could only miraculously save. One of them even ended with the ball crashing into the crossbar.

Jovic’s solution, at this point is evidence, is not enough for Ancelotti. Mariano’s even less so. Without the French and before putting to Bale against Villarreal, the coach tried first with Asensio false nine (or nine liars) in the Cup match against Athletic and then with Isco against Granada.

In any case, and with reservations that he can complete the last training session with the group, Ancelotti prepares for tomorrow’s game with Benzema present. Up to 24 goals have been signed by the Frenchman this season (five of them scored in five Champions League games), which represents 33% of the 72 that the team has scored. That, without counting that he has given nine assists.

His influence is enormous, even, in Vinicius’s performance, with whom he has ended up getting along very well on the field despite that ugly episode in Moenchengladbach (“don’t give it to him…”, he whispered to Mendy). The Brazilian has only been able to score in one of the seven games that Benzema has missed this season (five due to injury, two due to rest). It was against Elche, in the League.

Veteran world top.

At 34 years old, Benzema continues to be a strategic player for Madrid. In the offices of the Bernabéu they account that he still has one or two more seasons to perform at the highest level, and that has even conditioned an entire operation like Haaland’s. The white club does not want to match the two players in the squad and that is why it seems to have given up signing the Norwegian this summer.

However, and despite the fact that Benzema is an example for his way of training and taking care of nutrition, he has already missed five games this season due to injury, when there is still almost half (the most important) of the course remaining. Last season he stopped playing seven, in the entire exercise, due to muscular ailments. In 19-20 there were only two and in 18-19, three.

It will be the fifth time that Benzema faces PSG wearing the Madrid shirt (before, two wins, one loss and one draw, in which he scored both goals). His last visit to Paris was in 2019… Today he is a different Karim: candidate for the Ballon d’Or, once again a reference for Les Bleus and a great hope for this Real Madrid.