Karim Benzema pushed Real Madrid over the line in their UEFA Champions League quarterfinal matchup against holders Chelsea, continuing his good form. Two-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo Nazario believes the striker deserves the most prestigious individual award for his performances this season.
Four out of the five goals Los Blancos scored against Chelsea during their 5-4 aggregate win in the Champions League quarterfinal came from the same source – Benzema. The 34-year-old scored a hattrick in the first leg and then the goal that decided the tie in the second, six minutes into extra time.
Benzema’s match-winning form for Real Madrid has been a recurrence throughout the season; he has been one of their key players on both the domestic and European scene, sometimes taking Carlo Ancelotti’s side over the line almost single-handedly. He is also the leading scorer in LaLiga (24) and second-best in the Champions League (12) behind only Bayern’s Robert Lewandowski (13).
A former Real Madrid player himself, Ronaldo believes that the forward deserves to win the Ballon d’Or this season. He stated the same during a recent media interaction with ex-Juventus captain Alessandro Del Piero during a segment on Sky Sport Italia.
“Benzema deserves the Ballon d’Or, I’ve been saying it for years and getting criticized. But he deserves it, he’s a great forward.”
As per the report in L’Equipe, Ronaldo’s wish will come true, as it stands. Benzema is reportedly the favorite to win the Ballon d’Or this year, courtesy of a major tweak in the regulations; the new rules state that the candidates will be judged across the football season – which, in most countries, means July to the next June – as compared to the calendar year.
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Benzema’s individual brilliance early in the season pulled Los Blancos clear of the competition domestically; the team is expected to win the La Ligatitle barring a major collapse. In total, he has scored 38 goals in 38 appearances, a tally which includes back-to-back hattricks in the Champions League against Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, respectively.
