Carlo Ancelotti, the coach of Real Madrid, once again praised Karim Benzema, who scored a hat-trick during Real Madrid’s victory over Barcelona (0-4) in the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final on Wednesday.
Karim Benzema (35 years old) is not the top favourite for his succession. But Carlo Ancelotti believes in the chances of the Frenchman to win another Ballon d’Or.
The Italian coach praised his striker again after his hat-trick on Wednesday on the field of FC Barcelona (0-4) in the Copa del Rey semi-final second leg.
The former Lyon player became the second player in Real Madrid’s history to achieve such a performance at Camp Nou since Ferenc Puskas in 1963. He now positions himself as the fourth top scorer in the history of El Clasicos (16 goals).
“Benzema is one of the best players in the world right now”
“The work he did during the international break helped him a lot,” Ancelotti said after the match. “He’s in optimal physical condition, and with the qualities he has, he creates differences, of course.
He remains one of the best players in the world, not just among attackers. He is one of the best players in the world right now.”
When asked if he could win another Ballon d’Or, the Madrid coach exclaimed, “Why not?!”
Despite being defeated 0-1 at home in the first leg, Real completely turned the table around despite a difficult first half marked by a penalty not given to Barcelona (a handball by Alaba in the penalty area was not sanctioned).
Vinicius finally scored on a pass from…Benzema in added time of the first half, before Benzema, took care of everything in the second half.
“We played a complete match,” Ancelotti added. “We struggled during the first half, where we had difficulties, especially in our ball exits, but the first goal changed the dynamic of the match. We found more space in the second half, and we managed to hurt them. I am proud that the machine has returned to temperature.
This is the most important moment of the season, and when we are at the right temperature, we are good.”
In the final, Real will face Osasuna on May 6th.
