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Real Madrid win over Granada shows Florentino Perez was wrong about one player
Real Madrid have beaten Granada with Karim Benzema, Eden Hazard, Luka Modric and James Rodriguez on target in the La Liga win.
Real Madrid: Karim Benzema scores against Granada
Real Madrid chief Florentino Perez, had he got his way back in the summer, would have got Karim Benzema off the books.
The France international had been solid, but unspectacular, for Los Blancos last season as they struggled under both Julen Lopetegui and Santiago Solari.
Perez thought Real Madrid needed more. That’s why he moved for Luka Jovic, who had played a starring role for Frankfurt last season and who cost the La Liga giants a massive £52million.
The Real president was left disappointed, though, when Zinedine Zidane personally intervened.
Zidane was adamant that Benzema had to stay, despite the striker often garnering criticism.
Together, the French duo had helped Real Madrid win the Champions League three times in a row during Zidane’s first stint at the club.
And the Los Blancos manager was insistent that, despite Perez’s determination to jettison Benzema, the striker had to stay.
Fast-forward to now, and it’s a decision that has paid off.
Perez thought Benzema was past his peak but, these days, he’s their biggest goalscoring threat.
His goal against Granada, which opened the scoring against the team second in the La Liga table, was his sixth from seven league matches this season.
He had previously found the net against Sevilla on a ground where Real have struggled in recent years.
A brace against Levante on September 14 fired Real to a 3-2 win to boost their chances of title glory.
And Benzema had also previously been on target in matches against Celta Vigo and Real Valladolid.
The 31-year-old is now enjoying a resurgence in the twilight years of his career.
And, in doing so, he’s proving that Perez was wrong for wanting to offload him during the summer.
Speaking recently, Zidane expressed his delight at Benzema’s upturn in form.
And he accredited the change in the France international to be down to him maturing and accepting more responsibility.
"What I see now different is his serenity,” Zidane said before Real’s 2-2 draw with Club Brugges in midweek.
“I see someone more responsible and the difference is big."