French striker Karim Benzema, top scorer of Real Madrid this season with 10 goals, aims to erase his best personal record in merengue (32 in 2011-2012) and reach the 35 goals in the current campaign, has he explained Thursday on the club channel.
Exceed the 32 goals? "Of course I can," said the Real Madrid center forward, guest of the show La Tertulia on Real Madrid TV, before acknowledging having set a personal goal of 35 goals.
"Of course, of course, but it's private, " he smiled. I have it in a corner of my head. (...) This year, I will try to score more. And with more goals, it gives more titles. In every game I want to conclude, either by goals or by assists. "
The form of the 30-year-old Frenchman, who has 10 goals in 18 official matches this season, is one of the sources of the merengue recovery under the leadership of new coach Santiago Solari, appointed for an interim and finally confirmed until 2021 after four wins in four games.
"My game is always the same"
"I see him at ease, " Benzema commented on the Argentine technician. He had what Zizou (Zidane) before him, being a great player of the Real. He knows football well, he conceives the game with a lot of possession, fast attacks or quieter, he is a very good coach for us. "
After Cristiano Ronaldo's departure for Juventus Turin, Real struggled to adapt and Benzema admitted Thursday that his offensive responsibilities were now increased. "Before, we had Cristiano, but now he is no longer there to score. So it's my turn, I'm very motivated and ready for that, " he said, saying he wanted to achieve " a great year " .
The former Lyonnais has nonetheless assured that he has not fundamentally changed his game, despite some comments comparing his position to that of his younger years at OL. "People say that because in Lyon, I always went to the left on the way back to the axis, with dribbling, shooting ... But my game is still the same," he argued .
"I score more goals, first and foremost because I get many more centers, than I have many more chances to score, but nothing has changed," concluded the Frenchman, expected Saturday with Real in Eibar for the 13th day of the Spanish Championship.