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MADRID. — Real Madrid are confident they can rely on a deep pool of talent already at their disposal rather than go on a shopping spree to improve on a stellar 2021-2022 season. After winning a 35th Spanish La Liga football title and 14th Champions League, both record-extending achievements, Real knew that they did not need to overhaul a squad in pursuit of football’s biggest trophies.
Instead, they opted to do some tinkering by offloading 30-something veterans such as Gareth Bale, Marcelo and Isco, while bringing in former Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger on a free transfer and France midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni from Monaco.
Admittedly they missed out on luring French forward Kylian Mbappe, who opted to stay with Paris St Germain, to the Bernabau but once that deal was off the table they opted not to chase after another big-name signing. Instead their focus turned to improving the on-field chemistry of their in-house talent, specifically Karim Benzema and Vinicius Jr, before they kicked off the new season against promoted Almeria tomorrow. Benzema had a stellar 2021-2022 campaign as he scored 44 goals in 46 games in all competitions, while 21-year-old Brazil winger Vinicius enjoyed a breakout season by netting 22 times.
The duo proved to be a potent force in Real’s 2-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Uefa Super Cup on Wednesday, when Vinicius assisted Benzema to strike his 324th goal for Real, making him the second most prolific scorer for the Spanish giants.
Only former Real striker Cristiano Ronaldo is ahead of Benzema in the all-time list.
As he nears his 35th birthday in December, France international Benzema has lost none of his speed or accuracy up front, which in turn convinced Real that they did not need to sign a back up.
“It’s just impossible to replace Benzema, he is the best forward in the world,” Real manager Carlo Ancelotti said after the Super Cup win. “He is our leader and we are here today mainly because of him. There is no doubt that he needs to be named best player in the world,” he added referring to the Ballon d’Or.
Spanish La Liga Fixtures
Today: Celta Vigo v Espanyol (5pm); Real Valladolid v Villarreal (7pm); Barcelona v Rayo Vallecano (9pm).
Tomorrow: Cadiz v Real Sociedad (5:30pm); Valencia v Girona (7:30pm); Almería v Real Madrid (10pm).
Monday: Athletic Club v Mallorca (5:30pm); Getafe v Atletico Madrid (7:30pm); Real Betis v Elche (9:30pm). — (Reuters)
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