La Liga 2018/19: How Real Madrid might line up this season

Striker: Karim Benzema

Benzema needs to find his form to remain in the starting XI

Lopetegui's 4-3-3 demands two things from the striker: strength to hold the ball as a no.9 and the tactical intelligence to link up the play. Great finishing is also a requirement but then that's what every manager needs.

Karim Benzema is the main man available right now with Borja Mayoral serving as his deputy. While Mayoral is great at the link-up play, he is not as strong as a Romelu Lukaku or a Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Benzema has grown into that kind of player but he has been very poor with his finishing for the last few seasons.

He has been criticized and whistled at by the fans and is not a popular figure. His favourite player to link up with, Ronaldo, is also gone and it will affect his game. It will be necessary for the Madrid hierarchy to look for someone in the market.

Robert Lewandowski has been a target for Los Blancos for a long time and his agent has fired up the rumour mills with his comments, but those rumours have cooled down and there has been no effort made by the Champions League holders to contact the Pole or his agent.

Given the current scenario, Karim Benzema will start the games as the sole striker.