From our special correspondent in Budapest,
Those who follow Formula 1 a bit, or just Günther Steiner’s shouting Netflix docu, know very well that racing cars never are during pre-season testing or even at the first grand prix. F1 Benzema is no exception to the rule.
Sluggish in preparation matches and at the start of Euro 2021, she finally obtained a satisfactory result at the Budapest Grand Prix against Portugal with a double. It is a burden and a problem less for the striker and the France team for the rest of the competition. Let the show begin.
Benzema initially too low
Let us not forget, however, the start of the match, in the right line of the first two, with a Karim ultimately little served where he is most expected, that is to say in the axis of the French attack. Weaned from the ball by the dominant Portuguese in the first period, we even remember having a little bitched in the face of the incessant zoning – often too low – Merengue. Benzema can finally thank this little trickster of Kylian Mbappé for this penalty perfectly scratched in the 45th and Antoine Griezmann who, as a great lord, did not come to intervene despite the recent failure of his teammate in a friendly against Wales. Is the altruism of this man already not stingy in defensive efforts without limits?
I think we didn’t need to discuss on the pitch who shoots the penalties, KB19 will say in the virtual mixed zone. There is no order to shoot. I had complete confidence in myself because I worked on them in training. You have to be focused, determined and that’s what I showed from the penalty spot. “
Now that he has scored the first goals of his second life in blue, the French striker half-admits that he was somewhat embarrassed by the pressure associated with this long-awaited goal, six years after the last. Before expressing it by word, he also expressed his relief by jubilant in front of the French turn after having taken Rui Patricio on the wrong foot. “Everyone was waiting for this goal and it motivated me. It’s another pressure than in a club because it’s a whole country that is behind us. I knew very well when I got back that there would be criticism. It’s part of football. Either way, I never give up. Every time I enter a field, I want to score and make others score. “
Then up there
Beyond the accounting aspect, we must also remember the impression given by Karim Benzema. If his moldy recovery in the Hungarian area exuded a lack of confidence, his ride and his shot from the right to go and deceive the Portuguese goalkeeper on the restart exuded class and confidence. New proof that it takes little to give a scorer confidence, especially when he is of the caliber of Karim Benzema and has the support of supporters in Hungary. “When I put the penalty, we saw the enthusiasm of the public and it gave me a lot of strength to go and score this second goal in the second half. “
Now that the Karim case is closed, we are waiting to see Kylian Mbappé at work. Decisive on the penalty, the Parisian made a rather poor performance as a whole. This is undoubtedly linked to somewhat stereotypical tactical instructions. We have seen that he had constantly tried to take Semedo by speed on the pretext that the latter had taken the broth against Germany. Hopefully he’s more inspired against Switzerland. A thought also for Olivier Giroud, who we imagined, 90 minutes earlier, that he still had a chance to shake up the hierarchy. Benzema is indeed back, and it is now difficult to see him let go of his bone.