Better striker for Real Madrid: Raul or Benzema?

TenonTen

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surely there isn’t much comparison there? I love Zlatan but Benz crushes him
Lots of Zlatan fans here who'll definitely disagree and have their points.

Someone really needs to make that thread now!!:drool:
 

Madridista2000

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Current La Liga's level is nothing to shout about. :lol:


Lewandowski has a better goalscoring ratio in UCL than Messi and Ronaldo ffs.

Dude has 100 goal contributions for a team like Poland and will easily end up as the 2nd highest international scorer after Ronaldo.

But sure, it's just the Bundesliga. His consistency and peak is levels above Benzema.

40 plus goals in 7 consecutive seasons now. For reference, Messi and Ronaldo have like 9 or 10. Benzema can only dream of being that consistently elite.

Can make arguments for Zlatan above Benzema too.
If Benzema wins CL this season he would have outdone anything Suarez, Lewandoski or Zlatan would have done in their career.

Suarez was a great striker, but he has been very inconsistent in CL. I think one of the reason why Barcelona underachieved in CL despite the unbelievable team they had was Suarez bottling it in CL.
 

roonster09

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And Benzema has more NPG/90 goals than Robert Lewandowski in the CL.
With a CL campaign this year that trumps any of Lewandowski's.
That's amazing considering the role both played for their teams. Benzema played second fiddle to Ronaldo for a decade.
 

Righteous Steps

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As a footballer, it's Benzema and it's not even close.

Raul was basically a very good Spanish van Nistelrooy who was home-grown.

Benzema has basically carried Real this and last season. Raul was never even close to doing that.

I couldn't care less about the legend stuff.
Raul was closer to Sheringham or Yorke than he was Ruud.
 

TenonTen

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And Benzema has a superior NPG/90 ratio than Robert Lewandowski in the CL.
With a CL campaign this year that trumps any of Lewandowski's.
Well, because Benzema is hardly the best penalty taker out there.

La Liga might love gifting him pens; if we stop counting pens, Benzema's League tally doesn't look that impressive really. :lol:

Lewandowski 19/20 had 15 goals and 6 assists in 10 games so no not really.
 

BalanceUnAutreJoint

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Well, because Benzema is hardly the best penalty taker out there.
Uh? He scored 30 penalties out of 33 at club level.
What are you even talking about.

La Liga might love gifting him pens; if we stop counting pens, Benzema's League tally doesn't look that impressive really. :lol:
You're not even trying to argue anymore and just going full twitter troll because you got entirely debunked? Cute.

Non-penalty goals per minutes in the UCL
Benzema 83 goals in 10286 minutes : a goal every 123 minutes
Lewandowski 70 goals in 9034 minutes : a goal every 129 minutes
Please explain this.

Lewandowski 19/20 had 15 goals and 6 assists in 10 games so no not really.
8 goals vs Olympiakos/Red Star Belgrade in groupstage.
2 more against a Tottenham that got battered home and away
Are you really trying to compare this to scoring 10 goals against PSG/City/Chelsea?
Not to mention that Lewandowski did not carry this Bayern side. Scored the 6th goal against Barca, the 3rd goal against Lyon and had a pretty anonymous final.
 

Afr1234

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Benzema by far, he is a complete player.

Raúl as much as i grew watching him at real, was just a killer and not more. He was good in a team of super stars.

Benzema played second fiddle to CR the full decade and still outsocred him.
 

Andrade

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Lewa played in significantly inferior league than Benzema, La Liga was by far the best league for a decade.
Even if that is true ('significantly' inferior is a stretch IMO), it only works as an argument if Benz scored the same amount of goals (or more). As he scored 200 less, it doesn't really help his case.

Lewa scored lot of goals but Benzema was always a complete player. He played second fiddle to Ronaldo, once Ronaldo his goal scoring record has been very good.
So Lewa was the leader of the attack and Benz wasn't, and in fact was dwarfed by another player (in a way that Suarez, for example, wasn't at Barca). Again. I don't think that helps KB's case.

Regarding Ibra, he didn't have career like Benzema. He was a liability in big games because of his lack of workrate.
Ibra has been extraordinarily successful for someone who is a 'liability in big games'. I think this is an exaggeration. And I'm not sure how he hasn't had a career like Benzema. He has significantly more goals despite playing in many different leagues. Not the CL success of course but the CL is Real Madrid's competition. I have a hard time believing that Benz was irreplaceable in that side.

His KO record was poor too, at least before he joined PSG and I don't think he scored many at PSG in KO stages.
When you say KO, do you mean just the CL or any KO comp? The CL is one competition and doesn't entirely define a career. How many trophies has Ibra won where he was the best player in the team compared to Benzema?

Scoring shit loads in (with all due respect) inferior league where he was part of team that was miles better than next best won't put him ahead of player like Benzema.
He scored goals everywhere so this is not applicable.

Suarez, Lewa, Benzema are level above Zlatan.
Disagree. Suarez and Lewa maybe, not Benz in my opinion.
 

Demyanenko_square_jaw

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Raul was more of a classic supporting/secondary forward in style imo, whereas Benzema was forced into that role because Ronaldo was better, yet was complete enough to perform in it. I don't think raul could have stepped up to be the leading forward in the way Benzema has done, at least not with the same effectiveness and he would have played the more withdrawn of the two had they played together. Benzema slightly more complete and Raul with more finesse, with little difference in effectiveness between both when in their prime.
 

Righteous Steps

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That I agree with. I was going to say Chicharito but that would have been disrespectful.
I mean in that he could play the number 10 role as well as the number 9 role, Chicarito and Rudd were closer to out and out scorers/poachers, Raul was more varied with his skill set.
 

Andrade

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Zlatan has never carried a team like Benzema has Real in the last 2-3 seasons. He was a big game choker in the 2000s.
And yet has 30+ trophies in his career and 570 goals. I think most would take that.
 

roonster09

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Even if that is true ('significantly' inferior is a stretch IMO), it only works as an argument if Benz scored the same amount of goals (or more). As he scored 200 less, it doesn't really help his case.



So Lewa was the leader of the attack and Benz wasn't, and in fact was dwarfed by another player (in a way that Suarez, for example, wasn't at Barca). Again. I don't think that helps KB's case.



Ibra has been extraordinarily successful for someone who is a 'liability in big games'. I think this is an exaggeration. And I'm not sure how he hasn't had a career like Benzema. He has significantly more goals despite playing in many different leagues. Not the CL success of course but the CL is Real Madrid's competition. I have a hard time believing that Benz was irreplaceable in that side.



When you say KO, do you mean just the CL or any KO comp? The CL is one competition and doesn't entirely define a career. How many trophies has Ibra won where he was the best player in the team compared to Benzema?



He scored goals everywhere so this is not applicable.



Disagree. Suarez and Lewa maybe, not Benz in my opinion.
The way you see things and I see is very different. So yeah let's agree to disagree. Zlatan was never at Benzema's level.
 

amolbhatia50k

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And yet has 30+ trophies in his career and 570 goals. I think most would take that.
Benzema isn't "most" though but just a much better footballer/ striker. Zlatan has had great longevity but much of his best performances came in thr French League and Serie A where many not so great attackers have put up huge numbers. He's obviously a very good striker but a level or two below the very best. I'd take Benzema over him any day of the week.
 

Jim Beam

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Ibra has been extraordinarily successful for someone who is a 'liability in big games'. I think this is an exaggeration. And I'm not sure how he hasn't had a career like Benzema. He has significantly more goals despite playing in many different leagues. Not the CL success of course but the CL is Real Madrid's competition. I have a hard time believing that Benz was irreplaceable in that side.
Well, hard or not, we will never know the answer to that one. On the other hand, we can surely say where Zlatan was replaceable. In that Inter team which got money and Eto'o for him winning the treble next season.
And in that extraordinary Barcelona team in which he flopped because he didn't had an ability or willingness to play second fiddle (like Benzema) to obviously much superior player in Messi and be more about collective then about himself.

Considering that word revisionism is used a lot in this thread it's only fitting that Ibra has entered the room.
 

Gottabekiddingme

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Zlatan has never carried a team like Benzema has Real in the last 2-3 seasons. He was a big game choker in the 2000s.
This is literally the first season Benzema carries Real Madrid and can be called the main guy, at the age of 34. He didn't significantly up his numbers since Ronaldo left until this season.

Zlatan was the go to guy in all his teams for about 12-13 years.
 

Andrade

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Benzema isn't "most" though but just a much better footballer/ striker. Zlatan has had great longevity but much of his best performances came in thr French League and Serie A where many not so great attackers have put up huge numbers. He's obviously a very good striker but a level or two below the very best. I'd take Benzema over him any day of the week.
Here is how Benzema is described on wikipedia:

"Karim Mostafa Benzema (born 19 December 1987) is a French professional footballer who plays as a striker for La Liga club Real Madrid and the France national team. A creative and prolific forward known for his playmaking and finishing,[4] he is regarded as one of the best forwards of his generation.[5][6][7]"

Here is how Ibrahimovic is described:

"Zlatan Ibrahimović (Swedish: [ˈslǎːtan ɪbraˈhǐːmʊvɪtɕ], Bosnian: [zlǎtan ibraxǐːmoʋitɕ]; born 3 October 1981) is a Swedish professional footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club AC Milan and the Sweden national team. He has been described as one of the greatest strikers of all time.[3][4][5][6][7]"

Why do you think Benzema is 'one of the best forwards of his generation' (according to them), and Ibra is 'one of the greatest of all time'?
 

amolbhatia50k

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Here is how Benzema is described on wikipedia:

"Karim Mostafa Benzema (born 19 December 1987) is a French professional footballer who plays as a striker for La Liga club Real Madrid and the France national team. A creative and prolific forward known for his playmaking and finishing,[4] he is regarded as one of the best forwards of his generation.[5][6][7]"

Here is how Ibrahimovic is described:

"Zlatan Ibrahimović (Swedish: [ˈslǎːtan ɪbraˈhǐːmʊvɪtɕ], Bosnian: [zlǎtan ibraxǐːmoʋitɕ]; born 3 October 1981) is a Swedish professional footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club AC Milan and the Sweden national team. He has been described as one of the greatest strikers of all time.[3][4][5][6][7]"

Why do you think Benzema is 'one of the best forwards of his generation' (according to them), and Ibra is 'one of the greatest of all time'?
:lol: What an argument.

Probably because Zlatan is insecure enough to keep bigging himself up all the time
 

JPRouve

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Here is how Benzema is described on wikipedia:

"Karim Mostafa Benzema (born 19 December 1987) is a French professional footballer who plays as a striker for La Liga club Real Madrid and the France national team. A creative and prolific forward known for his playmaking and finishing,[4] he is regarded as one of the best forwards of his generation.[5][6][7]"

Here is how Ibrahimovic is described:

"Zlatan Ibrahimović (Swedish: [ˈslǎːtan ɪbraˈhǐːmʊvɪtɕ], Bosnian: [zlǎtan ibraxǐːmoʋitɕ]; born 3 October 1981) is a Swedish professional footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club AC Milan and the Sweden national team. He has been described as one of the greatest strikers of all time.[3][4][5][6][7]"

Why do you think Benzema is 'one of the best forwards of his generation' (according to them), and Ibra is 'one of the greatest of all time'?
Who is them? Wikipedia articles are written by people like you and I. It's as valid as me writting that you are one of the greatest poster of all time while someone else writes that @amolbhatia50k is just a decent one.
 

giorno

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Benzema by far, he is a complete player.

Raúl as much as i grew watching him at real, was just a killer and not more. He was good in a team of super stars.

Benzema played second fiddle to CR the full decade and still outsocred him.
Did you start watching Raul in 2004?

Raul spent the first half of his career as a creative forward/attacking midfielder
 

Andrade

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:lol: What an argument.

Probably because Zlatan is insecure enough to keep bigging himself up all the time
Could also have something to do with the fact that he's the 12th highest goalscorer (re 'official' goals) in the entire history of football.
 

JPRouve

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Did you start watching Raul in 2004?

Raul spent the first half of his career as a creative forward/attacking midfielder
His Schalke days showed that he was much more than a killer. So watching him after 2004 wouldn't be an excuse.
 

Andrade

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Who is them? Wikipedia articles are written by people like you and I. It's as valid as me writting that you are one of the greatest poster of all time while someone else writes that @amolbhatia50k is just a decent one.
The articles use sources, so if they write 'he has been described as X', they list the links where he is categorised in that fashion by other commentators. Again, not definitive, but it paints a picture of the person's standing.

Nevertheless, as I posted above, just using raw numbers, Ibra is one of the most prolific strikers of all time. That is beyond opinion.
 

Iker Quesadillas

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This is literally the first season Benzema carries Real Madrid and can be called the main guy, at the age of 34. He didn't significantly up his numbers since Ronaldo left until this season.
Nah he's been carrying RM the last three years at least. But RM were a low scoring team in Zidane's 2nd stint so his numbers weren't super high.
 

JPRouve

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The articles use sources, so if they write 'he has been described as X', they list the links where he is categorised in that fashion by other commentators. Again, not definitive, but it paints a picture of the person's standing.

Nevertheless, as I posted above, just using raw numbers, Ibra is one of the most prolific strikers of all time. That is beyond opinion.
There is no objective or unanimous sources that determine whether someone is an all time great. It paints nothing, particularly in a comparison between two players, someone making an hyperbolic comment isn't an argument and in this case it's frankly crazy. If we focus on the best club competition in the world, Ibrahimovic registered 48 goals/28 assists/9958 minutes while Benzema registered 86 goals/29 assists/ 10286 minutes. There is an entire galaxy between them.
 

BalanceUnAutreJoint

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This is literally the first season Benzema carries Real Madrid and can be called the main guy, at the age of 34. He didn't significantly up his numbers since Ronaldo left until this season.

Zlatan was the go to guy in all his teams for about 12-13 years.
There is no way you actually watch La Liga.
Benzema was their whole attack for 3 consecutive seasons before this one while the 2nd and 3rd top scorers were Ramos and Casemiro
And he won them a league title while being the ONLY goalscorer in the team
 

harms

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Here is how Benzema is described on wikipedia:

"Karim Mostafa Benzema (born 19 December 1987) is a French professional footballer who plays as a striker for La Liga club Real Madrid and the France national team. A creative and prolific forward known for his playmaking and finishing,[4] he is regarded as one of the best forwards of his generation.[5][6][7]"

Here is how Ibrahimovic is described:

"Zlatan Ibrahimović (Swedish: [ˈslǎːtan ɪbraˈhǐːmʊvɪtɕ], Bosnian: [zlǎtan ibraxǐːmoʋitɕ]; born 3 October 1981) is a Swedish professional footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club AC Milan and the Sweden national team. He has been described as one of the greatest strikers of all time.[3][4][5][6][7]"

Why do you think Benzema is 'one of the best forwards of his generation' (according to them), and Ibra is 'one of the greatest of all time'?
Mic drop :drool:
 

Andrade

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There is no objective or unanimous sources that determine whether someone is an all time great.
Never said there was

It paints nothing, particularly in a comparison between two players, someone making an hyperbolic comment isn't an argument and in this case it's frankly crazy.
How is it hyperbolic or crazy to say that a player with the 12th most goals in the history of the sport is one of the greatest strikers of all time?

If we focus on the best club competition in the world,
Which people always want to do, ignoring the hundreds of other games these guys play in their careers at club and international level.....

Ibrahimovic registered 48 goals/28 assists/9958 minutes while Benzema registered 86 goals/29 assists/ 10286 minutes. There is an entire galaxy between them.
Benzema also has a much better goal record in the CL than Suarez. Is he better than him too? Or do we have to look at the career as a whole to reach a decision?
 

NinjaZombie

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Genuinely curious about how people perceive Benzema vs Zlatan. Would love to see a thread on it.
Zlatan is overrated, as excellent a player as he is. Mainly because he overrates himself. Talks like he's reached Ronaldo's and Messi's levels and some people lap it up. There has been a number of strikers who's played the game and reached higher levels than he has. No comparison to Benzema.
 

JPRouve

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Never said there was



How is it hyperbolic or crazy to say that a player with the 12th most goals in the history of the sport is one of the greatest strikers of all time?



Which people always want to do, ignoring the hundreds of other games these guys play in their careers at club and international level.....



Benzema also has a much better goal record in the CL than Suarez. Is he better than him too? Or do we have to look at the career as a whole to reach a decision?
Yes, he is.
 

Andrade

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Yes, he is.
Simply because KB scored more goals in the Champions League? Or do you have another reason why you rank him higher than two guys who have scored a lot more goals in total?
 

JPRouve

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Simply because KB scored more goals in the Champions League? Or do you have another reason why you rank him higher than two guys who have scored a lot more goals in total?
Because Benzema is arguably the most complete striker in the world that he has been playing at a very high level for almost a decade. I would give the best peak to Suarez but I would give the best decade and the best performances at top level to Benzema, the fact that he outscores him in the toughest competition is the cherry on the cake. I Lewandowski above Benzema and that's it.
 

JPRouve

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I'd take peak Suarez over Benzema.
I share a similar sentiment in the post above but peak is not that important when you consider the best player. Benzema floor has been higher and he has consistently performed in important games which isn't the case for Suarez, Ibrahimovic or Aguero. With hindsight if I have to pick a striker in 2010, it will be Lewandowski or Benzema.