Since Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure from Real Madrid in 2018/19 season, Karim Benzema has significantly increased his number of goals scored for the club. This has also led to an increase in the average scoring rate. While Ronaldo was a world football legend and the club’s top scorer, his exit has provided an opportunity for Benzema to step out of his shadow as a long-time supporter of CR7. Both strikers arrived at Santiago Bernabeu before the 2009/10 season and have been instrumental in winning everything for Real Madrid, including three consecutive Champions League titles (2015/16, 2016/17, 2018/19) during the club’s 1,099-day reign in European football.
At Real Madrid, Benzema has been a standout player, even when he shared the dressing room with Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo made history at the club, becoming the top scorer with an impressive 451 goals in 438 matches, surpassing even a legend like Raul González who scored 323 goals in 741 games. However, Benzema is also making waves and recently helped lead Real Madrid to a stunning comeback victory with his special hat-trick against PSG. His latest achievement places him in third place on Real Madrid’s list of top scorers, with 309 goals in 592 matches, surpassing the legendary Alfredo Di Stefano who scored 308 goals in 396 matches.
For 9 years, Benzema played alongside Ronaldo at Real Madrid and managed to score 192 goals in 412 matches. However, after Ronaldo left for Juventus, Benzema went on to score 117 goals in 180 appearances. This means that currently, 62.14% of Benzema’s goals for Real Madrid were scored while playing with Ronaldo for 9 seasons, and the remaining 37.86% were scored in 3 seasons after Ronaldo’s departure.
In addition, Benzema’s impressive scoring record at Real Madrid has put him in a league of his own, surpassing legendary players like Di Stefano and Raul. Ronaldo’s highest average scoring rate at Real Madrid was 1.09 goals per match, achieved during the 2011/12 and 2013/14 seasons where he won both the La Liga championship and the Champions League and King’s Cup championship respectively.
Benzema’s scoring performance is at an all-time high, surpassing even his previous record. The 2015/16 season saw him score a maximum of 0.78 goals per match, with 28 goals in 36 matches. This was the same season Real Madrid won their 11th European Cup championship. However, this season has been even better for the French striker, with a remarkable 30 goals in just 33 appearances. This translates to an impressive 0.84 goals per match. Benzema’s scoring has improved significantly since Ronaldo’s departure, although he still has some way to go to catch up with his former teammate’s total number of goals. Nevertheless, Benzema has earned his place among Real Madrid’s all-time best strikers.
