Comparing Karim Benzema and Erling Haaland
Two of the best strikers in the world will compete tonight in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League Semi-Final. With both teams sporting elite offensive attacks and banged-up backlines, both Karim Benzema and Erling Haaland will be counted on to make the most of their opportunities and lead the scoring for their clubs. Let’s take a look at the two #9s and how they compare heading into their compelling semi-final matchup.
Scoring This Season
Haaland – 35 goals in 32 Premier League Matches, 12 goals in 8 Champions League Matches, 4 goals in other competitions, 51 goals in 46 total appearances
Benzema – 17 goals in 21 La Liga matches, 4 goals in 8 Champions League matches, 8 goals in other competitions, 29 goals in 38 total appearances
Benzema has battled injury at various points this season, but has still put up impressive numbers and does more for his club than just score goals. Los Blancos’ team captain may not have as staggering numbers as Haaland, but his impact on winning is just as valuable. The French striker has been consistent in his scoring output his entire career, in fact, this season he became the first player to reach 20 goals in 11 seasons with Real Madrid following a first-half hattrick in a win over Real Valladolid, beating the record of legendary Los Blancos forwards Raul and Alfredo Di Stefano.
Haaland has taken the world by storm and is putting up insane numbers on the offensive end. He is having one of the best offensive seasons in English football history as he just broke the single-season Premier League record for goals in a season with 35 and has three more games to add to that total. With a chance to lead his team to both Premier and Champions League glory in just his first season with the club, he will be the biggest threat to World Cup Champ Leo Messi at winning the Ballon d’Or this season after Benzema won it last year. The two strikers impact their teams in different ways, but it is clear that Haaland has been the more prolific goal scorer this season alone.
Career Comparison
With a significant age gap between the two players with Haaland just bursting onto the scene at 22 years old and Karim Benzema establishing himself as one of the best strikers of all time throughout his 18-year career, it is hard to compare their careers to this point. Looking at Benzema’s career when he was the same age as Haaland is a more interesting comparison, but their circumstances were much different. The French striker took a bit more time to gain traction as a worldwide superstar, while the Norwegian has taken advantage of every opportunity early on in his career. Having to share the spotlight with Cristiano Ronaldo for most of his career and not gaining the trust of his manager Manuel Pelligrini may have slowed down Benzema’s early ascension, but once El Gato committed to being at his best and began making the most of his opportunities, he quickly became one of the most dominant strikers in the game. In arguably Benzema’s best season of his career during the 2011-2012 campaign when he was just 25 years old, the French striker scored 32 goals and had 19 assists in 51 appearances on the year, helping Los Blancos achieve their 32nd La Liga title in the process.
Haaland is on pace to have an all-time great career if he can stay healthy and continue his incredible goal-scoring and team success. If he’s lucky, he may even track down Benzema’s impressive career numbers, but it will take consistency, health, and a little bit of luck along the way.
Playmaking
Benzema is not only an elite goal scorer, but he also has proven to be a great playmaker. Haaland has yet to develop that part of his game, as his sights are solely set on finding the back of the net. Throughout Benzema’s career, he has posted 8 seasons with double-digit assists and even broke the 20-assist mark during the 2012-2013 season. Haaland has yet to break 8 assists in a year and does not bring the same playmaking to his squad, simply because he hasn’t needed to given his effortless scoring ability. However, if the Norwegian superstar wants to take his game to the next level and become an all-time great, adding some playmaking to his game will only make him a better player and help his team win, and may even open up even more opportunities for himself to score.
Value
Both players have had great talent around them and are a part of two of the best clubs in the world at the moment. However, the argument could be made that Benzema is more important for the success of his club. Man City has proven they can be successful without a striker, but Real Madrid relies so much on Benzema’s playmaking and scoring that they would be a much different team without him. In all 7 competitions that Haaland has missed this season, Man City has 6 wins, 1 draw, and 0 losses with 17 goals for and 2 goals against. For Real Madrid, 4 of their 7 losses in La Liga came without Benzema in the lineup due to injury, proving his immense value to his club.
Trophies
Just last season, Benzema had 44 goals and 14 assists in all competitions, displaying his best performances in the Champions League en route to Real Madrid’s 16th UCL Title, scoring 15 goals, with ten coming in the knockout stages. His performances in the competition were the core reason he captured the Ballon d’Or following the 2022 campaign, adding to his already impressive hardware collection. Throughout his career, the French striker has won 24 trophies with Real Madrid, including four La Liga, three Copa del Rey, and five UEFA Champions League titles. Haaland is yet to win one, but is on track to give World Cup Champ Leo Messi a run at the Ballon d’Or this year and has set his team up for a chance at winning the English Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League in just his first season in England.
Final Thoughts
At different stages in their career, the two #9s are two of the best in the world at what they do. They both bring elite traits to the pitch that give their opposition nightmares when they reach the box and will make for an incredibly exciting semi-final matchup in this year’s Champions League. Benzema has had an illustrious career filled with individual and team awards, while Haaland’s young and fresh legs have shown off his elite athleticism allowing him to dominate in both England and Europe this season. The 22-year-old has a chance at being an all-time great, but can only wish to have a career as prolific and successful as his opposing counterpart Karim Benzema.
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