El Clasico: How Karim Benzema and Robert Lewandowski will influence Real Madrid v Barcelona
As Karim Benzema went
on a goalscoring flurry that helped Real Madrid to a Champions League and La
Liga double last season, rivals Barcelona were putting their own plans in place
to fight firepower with firepower, prolific forward with prolific forward.
Benzema netted 44 times in 46 appearances in
all competitions at a rate of 0.96 goals per game to make himself the
frontrunner for this year's Ballon d'Or.
So Barcelona moved for another of this
generation's most renowned number nines in Robert Lewandowski, a player who
reached half a century of goals in a Bayern Munich shirt last term at a rate of
1.09 per game.
For the first time on Sunday, when Real Madrid
host Barcelona at the Bernabeu, Benzema and Lewandowski look set to lead the
line against each other in El Clasico.
The unbeaten rivals sit level at the summit of
La Liga, with Barcelona top on goal difference and 34-year-old Lewandowksi
leading the scoring charts with nine goals in eight games.
"Robert Lewandowski has been very
influential this season for Barcelona," former Barcelona and Spain defender
Albert Ferrer tells BBC Sport.
"Lewandowski just does something to the
team that they didn't have. Apart from scoring goals and being in the box most
of the time, he is very important - his movement, how he talks to players, how
he tells them what space to occupy.
"He is basically for 90 minutes helping
players, moving and creating spaces and telling players where they have to be
and what they have to do. His influence is massive, not only because of the
goals."
Barcelona may be on the verge of exiting
the Champion League at the group stages, but in Spain's top flight they
have conceded only once and Poland international Lewandowski has benefited from
manager Xavi's more direct approach and the supply from wingers such as Ousmane
Dembele and Raphinha.
"They are very good at the offensive
transitions, the counter-attacks, putting crosses into the box. Now they have a
real finisher with Lewandowksi," says Ferrer, who leads La Liga TV's
tactical analysis and will be covering the game in Madrid.
"In midfield they don't spend as much
time as they did, so they are pretty direct. Direct doesn't mean long balls,
but Gavi and Pedri getting the ball and straight away looking forward instead
of sideways. They have become more vertical, more direct."
Carlo Ancelotti's Real were cantering towards
the title when they lost 4-0 to a resurgent Barcelona in this fixture last
season, without talisman Benzema.
"It was a disaster," says Ferrer.
"They changed their tactics and they changed everything. I don't think
that will happen this season."
Two of Barcelona's goals were scored by
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang during his brief stint at the club - before moving to
Chelsea once he was effectively replaced by Lewandowski in the summer.
"Aubameyang is a great player in terms of
finishing - he is always in the box," says Ferrer. "But Lewandowski
does more. He is able to drop to the midfield and create spaces, to link with
players, hold the ball with his body.
"He can do more than just finish; he is
more influential in more parts of the game than Aubameyang. He is in that sense
more of a complete striker and he is perfect for Barcelona."
|
Battle of the forwards |
|||||
|
Minutes played |
Goals |
Minutes per goal |
Chances created |
Touches in opp. box |
|
|
Karim Benzema |
450 |
3 |
150 |
13 |
46 |
|
Robert Lewandowski |
629 |
9 |
70 |
12 |
48 |
Benzema returned after the rout by Barcelona
last season, which was more a dent to Real's pride than their position, to play
a key role in their domestic and Champions League success.
This campaign also began with the Frenchman
scoring in the Uefa Super Cup final win and become the club's second highest
all-time scorer, behind Cristiano Ronaldo, but things have since stalled for
34-year-old Benzema because of injury.
The captain missed two league games, including
the Madrid derby against Atletico, with a thigh problem, then picked up a knock
that ruled him out of Real's victory over Getafe last week.
Benzema has scored three times in five La Liga
games this term but, while his goalscoring exploits are the headline in the
clamour for him to claim a maiden Ballon d'Or, he offers an all-round package.
Despite playing fewer games than Lewandowski,
he has created more chances in La Liga (13 to 12) and is averaging 2.3 more
touches in the opposition box per 90 minutes.
"Lewandowski has a lot of good things,
mainly finishing, but all the other movements he does, he does without the
ball," says Ferrer.
"Benzema can score goals, but when he
drops, when he links with midfielders, when he drops to the left to link with
Vinicius Jr, he is very technical with the ball at his feet. He can create by
himself.
"That is the main difference. With the
ball, Benzema can do more things possibly than Lewandowski. Without the ball,
Lewandowski is possibly better."
Benzema's influence on the squad is vital and
he has facilitated the progress of some of the club's young stars, such as
Vinicius, Rodrygo and Federico Valverde, as well as France midfielders Eduardo
Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni.
"Karim has something peculiar," says
Ferrer. "The past two or three seasons he was the best player on the
pitch, but he showed two huge players how to grow - one before the other, which
is Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo.
"This year he is possibly not as
influential or important as Lewandowski is for Barcelona, but all the players
grew alongside Benzema. They have hugely improved so they have made Benzema not
as influential as last season.
"This season didn't start as expected -
everyone expected him to be fighting with Lewandowski in terms of the Pichichi
(awarded to La Liga's top goalscorer). At the moment he is too far from him.
"I am sure he will bounce back. The past
few seasons Benzema has been possibly the best striker in Europe."
