"I was ready after he left" - Karim Benzema says he learned a lot from former Real Madrid teammate Cristiano Ronaldo

When Cristiano Ronaldo left Real Madrid and departed for Juventus in 2018, it was seen as a big setback for the Spanish giants. The Portuguese built his own legacy at the club and immortalized the No. 7 shirt. He is the club's all-time top scorer with 450 goals.

Karim Benzema saw a window of opportunity when his partner in crime left and stepped up in need of the hour. Since then, the Frenchman has become the most important member of the Real Madrid squad and has shouldered the burden of goals all by himself.

While speaking to Téléfoot recently, Benzema revealed that Ronaldo had a positive impact on him. He also spoke about his experience as captain and said that he is indeed relishing the challenge.

He said:

"I learned a lot with Cristiano, so I was ready after he left. (...) When I have the armband, it pushes me even more to lead by example. It's something exceptional for me."

The France international and Ronaldo both arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu in the summer of 2009. During their spell with Real Madrid, the two forwards scored 642 goals among each other. Benzema recently scored his milestone 300th goal for Los Blancos in a 4-1 win over Valencia in La Liga.

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Real Madrid are in pole-position to win the La Liga this season

Los Blancos have already claimed their first domestic title of the 2021-22 season in the Supercopa Espana. They overcame Barcelona in the semi-finals and then Athletic Club in the finals to win the trophy.

Benzema and Vinicius Jr have been the two most instrumental stars in the Real Madrid squad and have continued their goalscoring exploits. The French striker is en route to what could be his most prolific season, having contributed with 24 goals in 27 matches in all competitions.

He has emerged as a complete centre-forward and has dropped back regularly to join the build-up and bring his teammates into the game. His 13 assists are proof of how well he's helped Ancelotti's side develop attacks and finish them.

Los Blancos are currently at the top of the La Liga table with 49 points. Their closest competitors are Sevilla, who are trailing them by three points, but have also played one more game. From this point on, the title race looks mostly bilateral and a slip could prove costly for the Spanish giants.

Los Blancos have the necessary squad depth to make changes and would feel confident that they can secure the Spanish title.