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.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid, Barcelona, Liverpool monitoring 19-year-old Bundesliga wonderkid – Romano
According to Fabrizio Romano, Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Liverpool are all monitoring Bayer Leverkusen and Germany wonderkid Florian Wirtz.
After recovering from his ACL injury, the teenage sensation has been slowly working his way back to his best form. So far this term, Wirtz has managed to rack up a tally of two goals and six assists from 13 matches in all competitions.
The 19-year-old’s talent and potential have never been in question and hence it does not come as a surprise that elite clubs such as Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Liverpool are all keeping tabs on the German international.
A versatile attacking midfielder, Wirtz is capable of playing anywhere in the final third of the pitch and backs up with top-notch end product. Be it as a false-nine or in a more withdrawn role, the youngster has excelled for Bayer Leverkusen, catching the attention of top teams.
Real Madrid, for their part, are also understood to be among Wirtz’s admirers. Given the situation surrounding Karim Benzema’s fitness and the lack of backup at the top, the youngster could be an option, as he has shown potential while operating through the middle.
But Barcelona also have a strong interest in the teenager with reports even suggesting that they have already made contact with his father to enquire about his situation.
At the same time, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is understood to be a huge admirer of his fellow German and with Roberto Firmino on his way out, Wirtz could be lined up as a possible replacement.
However, Romano adds that the expectation is that Wirtz could stay at Bayer Leverkusen for one more year and depart Germany once the UEFA Euro 2024 is out of the way.
For now, there have been talks or negotiations with any clubs, but Real Madrid, Barcelona and Liverpool are all tracking Wirtz and his progress in Germany.
