League of Nations: Karim Benzema as a savior

“I really wanted to win a trophy with the France team, today it’s done. ” On M6, Karim Benzema quickly savored, Sunday, October 10, his first title acquired in the selection thanks to the victory of the Blues against Spain (2-1), less than five months after his surprise return to the France team.

Absent since 2015, the Real Madrid striker only needed eleven games to win his first coronation. The person concerned did not minimize the scope of this League of Nations: ” I will take advantage of this trophy, and little by little we will qualify for the World Cup and go get it! “

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More than a new line on his record, the native of Bron (Rhône) has especially put his foot on this final – he was also elected man of the match. He put the French team back on track by equalizing a magnificent ball rolled into a skylight, unstoppable for the Spanish goalkeeper Unai Simon (66th).

“When I knocked, I knew it was going to come in”, he replayed in a press conference. His 33rd goal in the selection allows him to get closer to David Trézéguet (34) in sixth place scorers in the blue jersey. A few minutes earlier, just before the opening of the Spanish brand, it was already he who had served Theo Hernandez, then hitting on the crossbar (63rd).

Complementarity finally demonstrated

His successful performance is symbolic of a player fully integrated into the collective. The joy shared by Kylian Mbappé after his goal meant a lot. Thursday, in the semi-finals, the former Lyonnais had offered the penalty to his friend to allow him to erase the bad memory of the missed penalty shootout against Switzerland in the round of 16 of Euro 2021. A model teammate then that he could get a double. ” On the pitch I try to make my teammates better every time, he explained on M6, Friday. I wanted him to score. “

“The return of Karim was an important element for the France team, even if it still requires some agreements on the ground”, admitted captain Hugo Lloris before facing Spain. If personally, Benzema had achieved his Euro with four goals, this “Final four” of the League of Nations allowed the attacking trio Benzema-Mbappé-Griezmann to raise concerns about their complementarity, with the Merengue spearheading.

Before qualifying for the 2022 World Cup (November 21 to December 18 in Qatar), Karim Benzema seems more than ever to fight for the Ballon d’Or awarded on November 29.

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