Madrid, Feb. 22 (BNA): Youth and Experience. Speed and quiet. And a lot of goals, the AP reports.
Twenty-two-year-old Vinicius Junior and veteran Karim Benzema prove to be perfect attacking partners.
Or Real Madrid, teaming to perfection to keep the European champions thriving. The duo bounced back strong again in Real Madrid’s stunning comeback in the Champions League on Tuesday, scoring twice each in a 5-2 win over Liverpool in the first leg of the round of 16.
Both also had assists for each other as Real Madrid recovered from two goals down to take the lead in the second leg at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Vinicius and Benzema have combined 17 goals and eight assists for Real Madrid this year alone. For the season, they total 36 goals, 18 goals each and have 14 assists overall.
They complement each other well up front, always knowing how to find each other with quick passes or long balls in order to set up scoring chances.
Vinicius mainly contributes his brilliant shots and brilliant movements past defenders, while 35-year-old Benzema adds his clever touches and precise finishing touches.
They succeeded together last season too, when Benzema was crowned FIFA World Player of the Year. This time, Vinicius takes the leading role in Madrid’s attack.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp agreed that Vinicius is one of the best players in the world at the moment, and said that “Benzema isn’t bad” either. The coach also paid tribute to Rodrygo, another Real Madrid striker who has often teamed up effectively with Vinicius and Benzema.
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