Sporting Win Shows Karim Benzema’s Real Madrid Super-Sub Role Could Continue

Real Madrid made it 30 competitive matches without defeat under Zinedine Zidane on Tuesday night, a run stretching back to early April last season.

The latest victory was attained in the UEFA Champions League, as they beat Sporting CP 2-1 thanks to a late Karim Benzema goal, after Raphael Varane had earlier put his side in front from close range.

While striker Benzema made a big impact with his run into the box from deep to glance home a header, it would have been an irritation to the Frenchman to see his name listed only among the substitutes once again.

However, with Madrid picking up important wins in successive games through an altered approach from Zidane, he may need to get used to it; the super-sub role may well be his for the upcoming period of matches.

⚽📝✅ #RMUCLThis is our starting XI for tonight’s Champions League match against @SportingCP_en.#HalaMadrid pic.twitter.com/CrEpZqXCVA

— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadriden) November 22, 2016

Benzema: Winner or Loser?

Real Madrid have been set up in a clear 4-2-3-1 for some time now, since the likes of Casemiro and Luka Modric were out injured, but the past two games—Atletico Madrid and Sporting—have seen far more structured versions of the same system. Lucas Vazquez and Gareth Bale manned the flanks, with Isco as a true No. 10 behind a lone striker, Cristiano Ronaldo.

Naturally, whatever formation or roles Zidane picks for his team to operate with, Ronaldo is never going to be left out of the side—that means a problem for Benzema in the current setup.

The Portuguese star is a forward, not a winger, and though it doesn’t mean he has to play from the centre, it does mean he needs to be freed from the defensive responsibilities which come with playing wide in the way that Lucas and Bale are currently doing.

Thus, Ronaldo is the striker, while Benzema is the sub.

Zidane made the move to bring on his No. 9 with 25 minutes to play against Sporting, but he came on for Isco and immediately took up the same role, in the same areas; playing behind the forward, looking to get on the ball between the lines and then joining from deep into the box.

It’s obviously a different way of playing the role to Isco, a playmaker in a pure sense, but Benzema’s natural inclination to break into the area whenever possible also gives a different dynamic to Real’s attack. …

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