La Liga 2016-17: Real Madrid 4 - 1 Eibar: 5 Talking Points

Karim Benzema steps up to the plate when it matters

How often do we forget the middle B of that famed BBC trio? With Gareth Bale sitting out this game (and the next) on the naughty step, and Cristiano Ronaldo being rolled up in cotton to protect him for the Napoli game, it was all down to Karim Benzema... and he didn’t disappoint. He took his goals smartly but that wasn’t the most encouraging bit. Playing alongside Marco Asensio and Lucas Vazquez, one would have forgiven him for playing the “Emperor” and asking the ball to be fed to him, but he ran the channels and was a constant menace with his off-the-ball movement... much like the Benzema that wowed Perez at Olympique Lyonnais. On the day he allayed the fears of the majority and proved that “No Ronaldo, No Problem”

This is promising for Zidane as he will look to his superstars, his answer to MSN, to step up to the plate in this mother of all run-ins to the title.