Six ways Real Madrid can replace the injured Benzema in El Clasico

Real Madrid go into Sunday’s El Clasico as LaLiga Santander leaders, but they’ll have to take on Barcelona without their star striker Karim Benzema. With 22 goals, the Frenchman is the top scorer in the Spanish top division by some distance, but an injury suffered while scoring a goal against Real Mallorca on Monday means that he is out.

“Benzema is a very important part of this team so we’ll need to find different solutions without him,” Carlo Ancelotti said when asked about the No.9 in his pre-match press conference. “I have decided how to replace him, but I’m not going to tell you here. We have many alternatives.”

It’s logical that Ancelotti wouldn’t reveal the answer to the main question mark of his line-up to the media, and to Xavi, the day before the game. So, we’ll have to wait until Sunday night to know his full plan. In the meantime, let’s take a look at six of the solutions the Italian could go for.

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A proper No.9 like Mariano or Luka Jović

There is no other centre-forward like Benzema in all of world football, never mind in Real Madrid’s squad. But, they do have two other natural strikers in the form of Mariano and Luka Jović. They are quite different profiles to Benzema and to each other, but both have been deployed at points this season and have each had one big moment in replacing Benzema already. Mariano came in for the Frenchman against Elche and assisting a goal during an energetic performance as part of a 2-1 win. Jović, meanwhile, came on when Benzema was injured at Real Sociedad and scored one and assisted another. The Spaniard and Serbian are options, then, if Ancelotti wants to opt for a more natural replacement at the tip of his 4-3-3.

Starting both Rodrygo and Asensio

We know that Vinícius will still start on the left of Real Madrid’s attack and that one of Marco Asensio or Rodrygo should take the right flank. But, there is a chance that both those right wingers start the match, with one of them playing more centrally to cover for Benzema. This would make for a very pacey front line, one that could really trouble Gerard Piqué and co, but the problem is that there’d be a lack of a penalty box goalscorer.

Fede Valverde in the front line

A version of the above could also occur, with one or Rodrygo or Marco Asensio starting in the centre of attack, but with the other one dropped to the bench in order to play Fede Valverde on the right of attack. With Dani Carvajal in poor form, Ancelotti might want to squeeze the Uruguayan into the line-up on the right side in order to help out defensively, while he can also help out going forward with his energy and verticality.

The Gareth Bale wild card

He may be the ultimate benchwarmer at this stage of his Real Madrid career, but Ancelotti opted for Gareth Bale to replace Benzema in a game just last month, as the Welshman was selected against Villarreal. Although that was a 0-0 draw, he played well and might be an option again. Bale, though, hasn’t played at the Bernabéu since February of 2020, seemingly being hidden from the angry home crowd. So, that might factor into him being left out.

Isco as a false nine

One other way Ancelotti has replaced Benzema at different points this season has been to place Isco as the furthest man forward. In fact, more than half of Isco’s minutes in 2022 have been as a false nine. This is an option and would certainly be an interesting one, given that the false nine role became so famous after Pep Guardiola used Messi there during a previous Clasico.

Hazard time

Eden Hazard is another forgotten man at Real Madrid and he has never actually played in a Clasico before, having always been left out or missed it with injury. But, with Benzema out, there is a chance this could be his big moment. Ancelotti hasn’t used Hazard much at all this season, but weird things happen in Clasicos and the Belgian could be the man trusted to lead the line.