Ballon D’Or for Karim! Ballon D’Or for Karim! That’s what the crowd in Madrid chanted as their adored striker Karim Benzema celebrated the opening goal in their re-aranged La Liga match against Athletic Club. And after all the controversy surrounding the France Football awards ceremony – you cannot blame any football fan for claiming that they know better.The way Los Blancos have been playing recently, it’s hard to see how anyone could stop them on their march to La Liga glory. They win both pretty and ugly – depending on the opposition and the mood. But the results are there. Just a few days ago they were losing at home to Sevilla and were looking shaky for ten or twenty minutes before they clicked and started dominating their way to a win. Tonight, they were battering their visitors from Bilbao for long periods of the game at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, but again had a few minutes off in which they could have been punished.Athletic Club fans must have shuddered upon seeing the team sheets ahead of this game. Just a sight of Benzema’s name is enough to make them wishing they were playing someone else because the Frenchman just loves scoring against the red and whites from the Basque Country. During his career, Benzema played against Athletic 24 times and scored 14 goals in those games.35 – Karim Benzema 🇫🇷 has scored 35 goals in 46 games for @realmadriden in 2021 across all competitions, equalling his best goalscoring tally in a single calendar year for Los Blancos (35 goals in 50 games in 2019). Insatiable. pic.twitter.com/x1XQD5OcpG— OptaJose (@OptaJose) December 1, 2021 The visitors looked a lot better after the break and even came close to levelling after an hour of play through substitute Oscar De Marcos. But Lucas Vazquez did great to block De Marcos’ goal-bound shot. That warning didn’t seem serious enough for the home team and their relaxed defending allowed another late chance to striker Oihan Sancet who was thwarted by the excellent Thibaut Courtois.This time, Real Madid didn’t pay for their lapses in concentration – and they’ve gotten the much-needed points.The win saw Carlo Ancelotti’s team pull away at the top of La Liga standings with seven points more than second-placed Atletico Madrid, albeit having played a match more. LA LIGAWednesdayReal Madrid – Athletic Club 1-0 (1-0)/Benzema 40/
