DBasia.news Real Madrid will host Atalanta in the second leg of the top 16 of the Champions League at Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano, Wednesday (17/03) at 03.00 WIB. El Real striker Karim Benzema, is considered to be a big threat to his opponent.
Most recently, his two goals gave Madrid a 2-1 victory over Elche in the LaLiga match. Benzema will return to be the foundation to test Atalanta’s defense. Madrid also has the advantage of 1-0 away goals on aggregate.
“The win is the result of the work of the whole team,” Benzema told Movistar after the match against Elche. “It was not an easy match because Elche was well organized in defense. The teams that came here were very deep and it was difficult for us to create chances.”
“We know we have to give more to get to the top, but with courage we push forward.”
In the momentum of playing, the 33 year old striker will be a scourge for Atalanta’s defense. As is well known, Benzema is a sharp striker who scores goals but can also provide assists.
One other advantage is that Benzema is diligent in helping the team in the defensive phase to pick up the ball and help build attacks.
This season Benzema has scored 20 goals in all competitions and this has been the third consecutive season he has scored 20 goals. In the 2018-2019 season, Benzema recorded 30 goals, then in the following season 27 goals.
After Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure to Juventus in 2018, Ronaldo has scored 77 goals. The former Olympique Lyonnais striker became the centerpiece of the front line and took on the responsibilities of Ronaldo previously.
He is 33 years old but Madrid still depend on him. In the Champions League, Benzema is the all-time top scorer from France with 18 goals, followed by Thierry Henry (12 goals), Kylian Mbappe (10 goals), Zinedine Zidane (eight goals) and Antoine Griezmann (seven goals).