Benzema could soar to great heights with back-to-back hat-tricks in the Champions League, erasing any lingering shadows from his past.
In just two matches, Benzema made waves in the world of football. During the Real Madrid match against M’Gladbach on October 29, 2020, with Los Blancos leading 0-1 and playing lazily, Benzema caused a stir in the tunnel during half-time. He advised Mendy not to pass the ball to Vinicius anymore as the Brazilian striker was “breaking the team”. Vinicius approached Benzema and Mendy, but the details of their conversation were not disclosed. Consequently, Mendy only passed to Vinicius thrice in the second half, despite being left wingers who should have overlapped continuously. Vinicius only had three shots that missed the target in the entire second half. Benzema later apologized to Vinicius and the latter accepted.
The recent success of Benzema and Vinicius as a team has been remarkable, with the duo being considered the best in Europe after almost a year and a half of playing together. Benzema’s goal against Chelsea marked the 13th time that he and Vinicius had scored together this season, with Benzema having scored a total of 37 goals in all competitions and Vinicius following closely behind with 17. The current versions of both players are the best they have ever been, with their performances this season possibly making them the best duo in Real Madrid history. Winning the Champions League would only add to their success. Commentator Quang Huy has suggested that one reason for Benzema’s outstanding performance this season could be due to his recall to the French team, after previously being criticized by Deschamps for his involvement in a scandal involving blackmailing hot clips with teammate Valbuena.
Valbuena and Benzema used to be close, but Benzema’s actions were condemnable as he colluded with others to blackmail his teammate. Although Deschamps may have forgiven him over the years, Benzema was not present during the 2018 World Cup and EURO 2016 due to his past actions that led to a 10-month suspended sentence. However, in the 2022 World Cup qualifying journey, Benzema has scored 3 goals in 5 matches, making an impressive comeback. His performance over the past month may even make him a top candidate for the Golden Ball award and silence critics like Giroud who previously mocked him for not having a World Cup.
Benzema has shown both his talents and flaws, some of which are quite unsightly. Although he has made impressive performances at the Bernabeu and Stamford Bridge, he has also had past moments where his darker side has been revealed and it could potentially resurface in the future. The recent six-goal score in two Champions League knockout matches is a testament to his abilities, but it does not erase his imperfections.
