Karim Benzema turns 27 in his best moment of form

Karim Benzema turns 27 today in his best moment at Real Madrid. The Frenchman was named man of the match against Cruz Azul and is in an exceptional run of form. He is the team’s second highest goalscorer (with 14 goals), while he has also racked up 10 assists during the 23 matches he has played. With these figures he has overtaken Pahíño in the list of Real Madrid’s all-time highest goalscorers: he has scored 125 goals in 258 matches and is two goals behind Fernando Hierro. So far in 2014-15 he has averaged 0.60 goals per match, which is better than his overall Real Madrid average of 0.48 goals per match.

But not all of his campaign has been brilliant – and it cost him at the start of the season. He did not score in either the Spanish Super Cup or the European Super Cup and missed two easy chances in the first Liga derby. He was substituted with whistles. Ancelotti left him on the bench against Elche and in Sofia against Ludogorets. That touch of attention felt good.

In Bulgaria he came off the bench and settled the match with a goal. That was his turning point. Since then he has demonstrated a magnificent level – his figures are the best proof: since that moment (including it) he has scored 12 of his 14 goals. Additionally, of the matches he has played, he has only failed to score or assist against Cornellà and Celta. All of these numbers helped him to be chosen as October’s best player by LFP and aided him in his reconciliation with the Bernabéu, who gave him a standing ovation against Celta. All of this has made him become one of Ancelotti’s indispensables. Only two Real Madrid players, Cristiano and Kroos, have racked up a higher tally of minutes than the Frenchman (1,829) this season.

The striker’s improvement is no coincidence, it is a matter of work and perseverance. It is common to see him come early to training to push himself, on his own, in the gym.

“It is bodybuilding work, especially in the legs,” he said.

Not only has he improved his physical condition, he has also improved his shooting. This season he has produced 42 shots, scoring one goal with every three shots on target. If he continues scoring at this rate and Madrid reach the finals of the Champions League and the Copa del Rey, Benzema will finish the season with 34 goals, two goals more than he managed in his most prolific season at the club (in 2011-12, when he scored 32 times).

from Últimas noticias | Diario AS http://ift.tt/1zb5ICI

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