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Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has chosen Karim Benzema over Cristiano Ronaldo, in a recent interview. The French striker has hit a higher gear since the departure of the Portuguese from Real Madrid and has been indispensable to Zidane of late.
Cristiano Ronaldo arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu in the summer of 2009 and went on to amass 450 goals for Los Blancos in 438 games in all competitions. Real Madrid were expected to struggle after his departure; however, the Spanish giants have not done too badly for themselves.
Real Madrid recovered their form despite an initial hiccup and won the La Liga title last season. One player played a pivotal role in helping the club deal with the absence of the Portuguese – Karim Benzema.
The Frenchman mostly played second fiddle to Cristiano Ronaldo during the former Manchester United player’s stay at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Benzema, though, had a massive hand in the Portuguese’s rise, feeding him with the final balls regularly on the pitch. Since Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure, though, the Frenchman has excelled in a more central role, and Zidane is delighted with his countryman’s efforts.
Karim Benzema has come out of Cristiano Ronaldo’s shadow at Real Madrid
Real Madrid might have missed Cristiano Ronaldo’s goal-scoring prowess after the Portuguese's departure, but Karim Benzema has impressively stepped up of late. The Frenchman finished second behind Lionel Messi in the La Liga goal-scoring charts last season and has already scored 11 times in all competitions this season.
When asked to compare Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema in a recent interview, the Real Madrid manager opted for his countryman. Claiming that Benzema was decisive on the pitch, he pointed out that the former Lyon player was more than just goals, saying in this regard.
"Karim is decisive because what he does he is doing in a phenomenal way but not only in terms of goals scored. I repeat what I always say about Karim, it’s not just goals. He also plays a lot and allows us to express ourselves with quality."
Zidane also stressed the 33-year-old’s importance in the Real Madrid team, saying:
He is a very important player. When he scores even better. He is a very important player for our team.
Karim Benzema helped Los Blancos deal with the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo, but Real Madrid might struggle to replace the Frenchman when he decides to hang his boots.
