Real Madrid added another trophy to their already heaving cabinet on Wednesday night after securing the UEFA Super Cup with a 2-0 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in Helsinki.
Real Madrid won the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday night with a 2-0 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt, adding another title to an already crowded trophy case. Never far away from Los Blancos' successes, Karim Benzema was one of the main talking points. A goal in the second half secured the outcome and set a new record for Benzema. With the goal, Benzema surpasses Raul Gonzalez's mark of 323 goals. Only Cristiano Ronaldo has more with 450.
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Benzema is firmly entrenched in the annals of Real Madrid. The Frenchman is undoubtedly a legend of Spanish football, having won 324 goals, four La Liga medals, and five Champions League championships. And manager Carlo Ancelotti praised the prolific striker and backed him to win this year's Ballon d'Or.
"He (Benzema) is a very important player, a leader of the team. We are here on our own merit and on his, he has scored a lot of goals. He finished the season well and he has started it well and nobody has any doubt that he should be the Ballon d'Or. I think nobody doubts it, but in football, anything can happen," the Italian said.
Ancelotti added that his team picked up the pace in the second half to score their second goal of the evening. The Italian was upbeat about their possibilities this year and praised the group's chemistry, drive, and spirit.
"We have a serious and motivated team that is determined to keep winning. This was a more difficult game than expected, especially in the first half when we struggled to play the ball between the lines. After Alaba's goal, we controlled it quite well. We're doing well. It's very positive that we've kept clean sheets in all three finals we've played since I've returned as coach," the Real Madrid boss added.
When Casemiro was named MVP of the UEFA Super Cup, the coach was asked if the Brazilian forward felt mainly driven in light of Aurélien Tchouaméni's arrival. Ancelotti said, "I haven't asked him if he was annoyed by Tchouaméni's arrival. He is the same as always and won the MVP because he was the best player. He managed their counterattacks well. Tchouaméni is going to learn a lot from him."
Discussing the atmosphere in the dressing room right now, Ancelotti added, "It's a pleasure to work with these players. They're so healthy. It's such a good dressing room. I can't do it alone, as I need help with physical, medical, and tactical preparation. I like to designate."
Naturally, Benzema continues to be the key to Real Madrid's prospects for success. Even though he has a stellar fitness record, many still wonder if Los Blancos have enough depth to rotate the Frenchman out or cover an injury at 34.