After his hat-trick once morest Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, and his decisive goal once morest the latter in the second leg of the quarter-final that allowed Real Madrid to strip the English club of the title, French Karim Benzema will be the lethal weapon of the Royal Club on Tuesday once morest its host Manchester City, who relies on his diverse offensive arsenal.
Talking regarding the absence of a real number 9 in City seems strange following the quartet and the decisive pass of the Brazilian Gabriel Jesus once morest Watford (5-1) Saturday in the domestic league, which his team leads by a point once morest Liverpool.
The offensive style of play that relies on the “imaginary number 9” has become one of the distinguishing marks of Spanish coach Josep Guardiola wherever he goes, whether he uses it intermittently or regularly.
In City, the former German coach of Barcelona and Bayern Munich did not resort to this method except forced due to the repeated injuries that followed his currently retired top scorer, Argentine Sergio Aguero, and plan “B” gradually became plan “A” for the Spaniard.
Although the offensive diversity without relying on an explicit spearhead led City to win the Premier League title and reach for the first time in its history to the Champions League final last season, the “Citizens” sought last summer to include Tottenham captain and top scorer Harry Kane without success in his endeavor .
Many believed that the management’s failure to obtain Kane’s services would put City in an unenviable position this season compared to their local rivals who have strengthened their ranks, but City have shown that they have up to six and seven players capable of scoring on a regular basis.
City have many attacking players such as Phil Foden, Raheem Sterling, Algerian Riyad Mahrez or Jack Grealish, but the danger comes from everywhere.
The player with the most shots on goal in the team in the league is Portuguese full-back Joao Cancelo (66 shots), which is clear evidence of Guardiola’s employment of his players on the field.
The fictitious No9 title might also apply to midfielders such as Belgium’s Kevin De Bruyne, Portugal’s Bernardo Silva, even Germany’s Ilkay Gundogan and many others who are on top during the same match.
In the Champions League, and among the four teams still in competition (in addition to Liverpool and Villarreal of Spain), City has the largest number of players in the top ten in terms of shooting on goal during 90 minutes with Mahrez (3.3), De Bruyne (3), Sterling (2.5) and Gundogan (2.1).
At the top of the list there is definitely Benzema (4.2), who scored 12 of Real Madrid’s 22 goals in the continental competition this season, twice what Mahrez (6), City’s top scorer, knowing that the English team scored 24 goals.
“It’s not a question of relying on me, no,” Benzema said recently in an interview with L’Equipe. Real won previously without me, and Real will always win.”
But numbers and scenarios tell a different story.
He scored once morest Paris Saint-Germain three times to turn the table on the French team, which was leading 2-0 on aggregate, and beat Chelsea with Hattrick in the first leg of the quarter-finals in London (3-1), which later turned out to be a hinge in the Santiago Bernabeu following being late The Royal Club 3-0 before scoring two goals, the second of which was decisive for the Frenchman, following the extension, which allowed Real to remain in the competition he is leading with 13 titles.
Of course, he is not alone on the field. His harmony with the Brazilian winger Vinicius Junior and the veteran Croatian playmaker Luka Modric contributed to his smooth access to the net.
But his role goes beyond what he does inside the forbidden zone.
His Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti said at the start of the season that Benzema “puts the finishing touch on the team’s work, but also represents the ability to read the different situations of the game, to help with possession… Calling him a striker is simplistic.” It is very complete.”
Benzema never hesitates to return to the center of the pitch and participate in the construction, and guide his teammates, developing his leadership qualities, according to Ancelotti.
It is a description that also mentions Harry Kane and shows that even if Guardiola knows how to win without him, he also wishes he had another Benzema in his team.
