Karim Benzema’s goalscoring form has put him on par with Cristiano Ronaldo and Erling Haaland, according to Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti.
Benzema, who was ranked third among strikers in ESPN’s FC 100 for 2021, has been in sensational form this season, scoring 20 goals in 23 games for Real Madrid.
The 34-year-old is LaLiga’s top scorer, and his goals have propelled Madrid to the top of the table, where they lead Sevilla by eight points.
Benzema’s two goals in Wednesday’s 2-1 win over Athletic Bilbao, the first of which was a magnificent effort, continued that trend, with Ancelotti declaring the France international to be “the best striker in the world” at the moment.
“I believe so,” Ancelotti told AS, “because he’s added a big, consistent capacity to put the ball in the back of the net to his game.” “He’s on par with Cristiano Ronaldo and Haaland.
“Benzema is a player who can make an impact. We saw it again in the game against Athletic, when they scored two goals in a row. He’s in fantastic shape.”
Despite the fact that the striker has prospered since Ronaldo’s departure from the Bernabeu in 2018, Madrid has been associated with attackers such as Haaland and Paris Saint-Kylian Germain’s Mbappe in previous years.
After leaving Everton last summer, Ancelotti returned to Madrid and will face PSG in the Champions League round of 16 in February.
Madrid was originally assigned to Benfica, but owing to a technical error, the draw had to be redone by UEFA, putting Ancelotti’s side up against a superior opponent in Lionel Messi’s PSG.
Madrid was believed to be “furious” with UEFA over how the draw was conducted, with insiders telling ESPN that Madrid insisted on keeping their initial draw against Benfica.
The draw was “a sad circumstance, an evident mistake,” according to Ancelotti. “But, as you can see, that was merely a blunder.
“Now we must concentrate on the match against PSG. The goal is to enter the match in the same shape as the team was before the latest COVID outbreak. I’d like to go into February without any injuries or infections.”
Madrid’s first-team players have tested positive for COVID-19, including Luka Modric, David Alaba, Marcelo, Marco Asensio, Gareth Bale, Rodrygo, Isco, and Andriy Lunin, as well as assistant Davide Ancelotti, ahead of the trip to San Mames this week.
Despite having a 17-point lead over champions Atletico Madrid and an 18-point lead over Barcelona at the midway mark of the league, Ancelotti dismissed notions that Madrid has the title locked up.
“We have a slight advantage, and it’s true that some of our rivals, such as Atletico Madrid or Barcelona, are behind us,” Ancelotti said. “But not in Sevilla, for instance. LaLiga is a difficult competition since it is never an easy game. There are a lot of good teams and a lot of terrific football to choose from.”
