Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has made it clear that there is no other favourite to this year’s Ballon d’Or than Karim Benzema. The striker has been in an electrifying form, helping Real to UEFA Super Cup glory last night against Europa winners Eintracht Frankfurt. The Los Blancos downed Frankfurt, thanks to strikes from David Alaba and Karim Benzema on either sides of the two halves.
Benzema has been endorsed not only by Ancelotti, but by many to bag this year’s prestigious award. The France international is in the form of his life and already has four trophies to make his case stronger for the Ballon d’Or. Moreover, he is also backed to scoop in every individual award this year, in FIFA The Best and UEFA Player of The Year award alongside the Ballon d’Or.
‘No doubts’ believes Ancelotti on Karim Benzema lifting the Ballon d’Or
Karim Benzema delivered in every competition Real won last season, scoring goals for fun. He guided the club to La Liga, Spanish Super Cup and the UEFA Champions League glory, defeating old foes Liverpool in the final. He scored 44 goals and assisted 15 in 46 games in those competitions, almost averaging a goal per game.
Further on, his 27 strikes in La Liga and 15 in the Champions League made him the top-scorer of both the tournaments for the last season. Benzema exploded like a monster from the European competition’s knockout phase, netting a hat-trick against PSG, four against Chelsea and three against Manchester City over the two legs to help Real stage epic comebacks to reach the final.
He was once again on the score-sheet for Real Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup, adding a second to Alaba’s opener. Speaking about Benzema in the post match presser, Ancelotti said: “I think nobody has any doubts that Benzema should WIN the Ballon d’Or.”
Ancelotti is certainly insisting the imminent thing here, with no other player matching Benzema’s exploits last season. Earlier, Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, who scored 31 goals and bagged 16 assists and Bayern’s Sadio Mane, who netted 23 goals for the Reds were touted as contenders too. However, Liverpool lost both the Premier League title and Champions League to blow the duo’s chances.
Further on, a record seven time winner of the Ballon d’Or Lionel Messi too has already cited Karim Benzema as the ‘deserving’ candidate to dethrone him as the current holder of the award. Speaking in May to an Argentine television, he said: “There are no doubts, it’s very clear that [Karim] Benzema had a spectacular year and ended up victorious in the Champions League. He was fundamental in all the matches from the round of 16 onwards. I think there is no doubt this year.”
There’s certainly no stopping of Benzema after the record winner himself has conceded his win. The Ballon d’Or ceremony will be held in October this year as usual in France where everybody should expect the homeboy Benzema to raise the golden ball.