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#3 Gareth Bale
Like Nani, Gareth Bale suffered from the huge burden of living up to the exceptional standards set by Cristiano Ronaldo.
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Bale moved to the Spanish capital on a then-world record fee of £90 million. The media and fans immediately drew comparisons with Ronaldo's move from Manchester United four years prior to that. The pressure showed on the Welsh forward. Along with his injury woes over the years, Bale eventually found himself frozen out of the first team under Zinedine Zidane.
It is widely believed that the four-time Champions League winner underachieved in his time at Madrid, but Bale has been successful in his own right. He was a crucial cog in the explosive BBC trio, with the Welshman partnering Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo in Madrid's forward line.
Most players in the Cristiano Ronaldo-Lionel Messi era have been unfairly judged on the unprecedented benchmark set by two of the greatest-ever players, and Gareth Bale is no different.
The Welsh superstar has been involved in a staggering tally of 173 goals (105 goals, 68 assists) for Los Blancos, including six goals and four assists in Madrid's glorious 2013-14 Champions League campaign.
#2 Carlos Tevez
Nicknamed 'El Apache', Carlos Tevez formed one of the most feared attacking trios in modern football, alongside Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The former Argentina international moved to Old Trafford from West Ham on a two-year loan deal in 2007. He made an immediate impact in Sir Alex Ferguson's star-studded team, playing a vital role in Manchester United's Premier League and Champions League glory in his debut season.
Tevez scored 19 goals and provided seven assists in the 2007-08 campaign, but was overshadowed by Cristiano Ronaldo's stellar tally of 31 goals that season. The Portuguese would go on to win his first Ballon d'Or award in 2008, while Tevez notched up 15 goals and seven assists in the 2008-09 campaign.
The 37-year-old had an unceremonious end to his Manchester United career, as he departed the club despite Sir Alex Ferguson's intent to sign him on a permanent deal. In the summer of 2009, Tevez shifted allegiances to the blue half of Manchester, making him a villain in the eyes of the Red Devils' faithful forever.
#1 Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema has been one of the most lethal goalscorers in modern football. But the general footballing populace has only given Benzema his due credit following Cristiano Ronaldo's departure from Real Madrid.
The Portuguese superstar's move to Juventus left a considerable void in Real Madrid's attack, and the club-record signing of Eden Hazard failed to make the desired impact. At this time of crisis, Benzema stepped up to be the leader in Madrid's forward line, and people finally started to take notice of his indispensable role at the club for 12 years now.
Benzema's role at Real Madrid over the years cannot be stated enough, as the 33-year-old has been as crucial as Cristiano Ronaldo in Los Blancos' four Champions League triumphs in the five years between 2014 and 2018. However, he was criminally underrated and often saw his consistent performances overshadowed by Ronaldo's at the Santiago Bernabeu.
'The Benz', now freed from the shackles of matching up to the ridiculous achievements of his former teammate, registered 34 goals and nine assists in 52 appearances in all competitions in the 2020-21 season for Madrid.
