How Karim Benzema defied critics to become an all-time Real Madrid great

Assists - 133

Benzema now holds the record for assists at the club

Benzema might not have scored the most goals or made the most appearances but one area where he does stand alone is in assisting goals for his fellow team members. As a central striker his primary focus will always be on scoring goals but in February 2020 he surpassed Cristiano Ronaldo's club record of 131 with a beautifully weighted pass that was finished off by Lucas Vasquez.

Proud to continue to make history of the best club in the world #132 pic.twitter.com/A6FtM8IjIf

— Karim Benzema (@Benzema) February 9, 2020

It is a remarkable statistic for Benzema, given the nature of his central striking role, to hold and will surely stand the test of time.

Understandably most of his assists have come in La Liga where he is currently seven short of reaching a century. He has 11 in the Copa Del Rey, and 24 in the UEFA Champion's League.

His lowest output for assists was his debut season as he adapted to the demands of a new club when he registered just three assists, all in La Liga.

His best year was in 2013-14 when he claimed 15 assists as Real won the Champions League and Copa Del Rey. On two other occasions he has produced 12 assists while in 2019-20 he seems certain to break into double figures once more as his tally stands at nine already.

Benzema referenced his creative side once describing himself as 'a No. 9 with the soul of a No. 10.'

His managers have also appreciated the role he has played for the good of the team. Santiago Solari said:

"He is generous with his play, makes those around him play better and is generous with his effort, too."

During those 500 games Benzema has played a total of 34,751 minutes, meaning he averages a goal or an assist every 93 minutes which is a seriously impressive contribution and one that has been crucial to the success of his team.