Real Madrid News
Ex-Real Madrid ace claims Benzema is ‘more complete’ than Lewandowski ahead of El Clasico
Barcelona and Real Madrid are set to square off against each other in the first El Clasico of the 2022/23 season this weekend.
Leading up to the game, the two arch-rivals are neck-to-neck in the La Liga title race, with the Catalans occupying the top spot in the table, just above the Merengues due to a better goal difference.
With the top spot at stake, all eyes will be on the ace goalscorers of the two teams – Karim Benzema and Robert Lewandowski.
Benzema won the Golden Boot in La Liga last season but has made a rather slow start to the ongoing campaign. Meanwhile, Lewandowski has emerged as a top contender for the Pichichi after making a blazing start to life as a Barcelona player.
Despite Lewandowski being well ahead of Benzema this season, former Real Madrid star Carlos Alonso ‘Santillana’ has claimed that the Frenchman is a much more complete forward than his Polish counterpart.
Speaking at an event (h/t MARCA), Santillana said: “As a fan, it’s a delight to see both of them on the pitch, although there are important differences.
“I think Benzema is more complete, he plays in different areas of the pitch, he supports his teammates, he makes the team play better and he scores a lot of goals up front without Cristiano.”
“Lewandowski is more of a boxer. A scorer who only has the goal and scoring goals in his mind. Benzema does not need to score goals to play well, but Lewandowski is more of a scorer,” he added.
Another former Real Madrid ace and current Castilla manager, Raul Gonzalez, recently hailed Benzema and Lewandowski as two of the best strikers in the game currently.
It will certainly be an interesting battle when the two superstars lock horns on Sunday at the Santiago Bernabeu. Who among Lewandowski and Benzema has a better day in the office could decide the outcome of the game.
The current edition of the Real Madrid squad is full of young talents, who have shown remarkable potential in recent years.
Arda Guler is among the young players looking to make a mark in European football in the years to come.
The young Turk joined Real Madrid earlier this summer, rejecting many other European giants in the process.
Toni Kroos mentoring Guler at Real Madrid
Guler has not enjoyed the best of starts to his life at Santiago Bernabeu, as he is spending a brief time on the sidelines due to an injury.
However, Guler has not stopped working on his characteristics, as he looks to kickstart his Real Madrid career on a positive note.
To that end, the former Fenerbahce starlet is receiving some key support from one of Real Madrid’s midfield pillars in the form of Toni Kroos.
This is according to MARCA, which suggests that the German international is mentoring Guler in his early days at Santiago Bernabeu.
Kroos: huge ‘sponsor’ of Guler
The report highlights how Toni Kroos is a huge admirer of Arda Guler. The German had even heaped praise on the youngster from Turkey when he joined the club earlier in the summer.
Guler, therefore, is closely training with Kroos, whose years of experience, composure, and knowledge of football, could help the youngster grow at Santiago Bernabeu.
This fits in well with Carlo Ancelotti’s vision at Real Madrid, as the Italian boss wants youngsters to have room to grow, especially with guidance from some of the older guards in the team.
It is one of the key reasons Real Madrid wanted to stick to Kroos and Luka Modric, despite bringing in Arda Guler and Jude Bellingham in the summer.
Guler, therefore, has the stage set for him to start his Real Madrid career on a strong note. After impressing in training, the next step for the youngster is to make a promising debut, which is just around the corner.
