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PLAYER ANALYSIS #2 : KARIM BENZEMA

Photo du rédacteur: El TácticoEl Táctico

Dernière mise à jour : 14 août 2019


Even though his stats are not the ones we expect from him, Karim Benzema is still appreciated by many. He’s far from his old high standards, but it’s no big deal to say few can reach his level when he’s at his finest. But what makes him so special, with few impact inside the penalty area ? Analysis of the misunderstood genius.

Benzema, the ultimate false 9 :


You already know, I’ll repeat it anyway, KB9 is not a classic center forward. He is what we call a false nine : to put it simply, he is free to drop wherever he wants to create movement and offensive play. The Franco-Algerian excels in this role. Decryption.

Benzema, a free electron according to his movement

Zidane gave a lot of freedom to his players for their positioning, and Karim is one of those who benefit from it. Attentive to maintain a fluid ball-circulation and a mobile offensive play, he moves a lot on the green square. His heatmap against the Reds in the LDC final shows it well : he's like a free electron on the field.


His repetitive drops have different roles all useful for the creativity of the offensive play which we will briefly evoke :

- between the opposition lines, in the middle

- on the wings

- in the half-spaces


If there is one area where Karim Benzema best expresses his talent, it is surely between the lines. Assuming that a player between the lines can alone disrupt a whole defensive system, Benz has managed to get out of the opposition pressing by this ploy. These drops, in addition to foiling the opponent, make Real Madrid retain the ball while creating vertical options.

Positioning between the lines of KB9 which allows him to break the opponent’s pressing and to launch a partner forward (in one touch)

In the center of the field, where he drops the most, his goal is to retain the ball for his team. By forming passing triangles or pass circuits with his teammates, he guarantees the conservation of the ball and forward progression.



It is especially in his great performances that the utility of Benzema's drops is obvious, as shown by his highlights against Liverpool (see video).




On the wings, the contribution of the Franco-Algerian is equally significant. To be precise, KB9 likes to combine on the sides with the fullback or winger in the narrow spaces to create openings. Thanks to his good technique and his perfect understanding with partners, he succeeds at it even in numerical inferiority.


This actually explains why 76% of Madrid’s attacks are on the sides. Zidane relied on his protege to combine with partners within few ball touches or dribble the opponent to open the space on the flanks. After that, a center (or a pass inside the box) would be enough for Los Blancos to score.


A small example with the Marcelo/Benzema duo looking for each other inside the penalty area of Atletico Madrid (video not available anymore). The action is not dangerous but we clearly see the objectives of the drops of Karim : avoid isolating Marcelo in 2vs1 with a fast combination game, while creating an opening in the rival’s defensive block.


The half-spaces are also a space more and more used by the forward. Halfway between wing and center, the half-space detains great tactical importance. It allows a team that wishes to play possession-play to create numerical superiorities, passing triangles and any other sort of stratagems to keep the ball. KB9 is introduced to combine with the fullback from the half-space and a midfielder, when Real plays in 4-4-2 diamond.

A perfect chemistry with his teammates :


Apart from his enormous importance as a false nine for Los Merengues, Benz gets along perfectly in the field with his teammates. Which brings huge benefits to the tactical team’s setup. Explanations.


The chemistry of KB9 with his partners expresses itself in many forms. From these forms we will retain two major characteristics :

- permutations of positions/roles

- quick combinations in small spaces with teammates


To outsmart the opponent, nothing better than constant movement according to Benzema. As you understood, his mobility is his strength : he takes advantage of it to make the opponent confused. He frequently swaps positions with his teammates to disorganize the opponent’s block or drive his marker mad. This is especially true with Ronaldo with whom he regularly exchanges his post.


But concretely, what is the purpose of these shifts ? Well, it avoids any effective individual marking but it also allows the player to be discreet. In other words, it helps Benzema but especially CR7 not to be noticed in the penalty area, which facilitates the task when shooting or making a decisive pass.


That's why the Portuguese forward was an exceptional striker in his previous club : his connection with Benzema allows him to emerge in the area safe from defenders’ attention to score. Same for Karim, who multiplied assists as he always found CR7 right where and when he’s needed. Their good football relationship is also explained by the Ballon d'Or recent winner himself :

« He is very talented and he is also my friend. I love playing with him [...] it's great to play around a good player, it's so much easier for me. We have a very good relationship. »- CR7 on his sidekick

With the previous appearance of Zidane’s 4-4-2 diamond, Benzema also has a good "football link" with Isco (midfielder). Continuous permutations of positions take place between those players with two main goals :

- avoid effective individual markings from opponent

- control possession / keep the ball


With his partners, and especially with Marcelo and Ronaldo, KB9 tends to make a lot of quick combinations in small spaces. I have already spoken about it in the article, but it must be mentioned once again : these passing sequences clearly show the alchemy between the teammates.


For me, this chemistry was the main strength of Zidane's men. It allowed them to alternate between fast transition and slow possession, between one-touch combinations and repetitive short passes. The Merengues are still productive and it is thanks to their maestros like Karim.


Conclusion :

Whether you like it or not, Benzema is and will remain for a long time a reference almost unequaled. Performing in big matches, in harmony with his teammates and decisive : critics do not reach him and it should stay that way.


Meanwhile, the French national team is sorely lacking a player to create movement and relies too much on Mbappé to do see. Despite winning the W.C., Deschamps has opted for Olivier Giroud in UEFA Nations League who does not seem able to surpass KB9. Time will tell if the coach can do without him permanently…

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