Benzema gave away two penalties at the weekend, then kicks it like a Doll in the LM semi final. Where did he find the confidence?

What is Karim Benzema’s nerves? That’s what fans around the world are asking after yesterday. And the answer must be clear, made of iron. Because the grace and elegance with which he converted the penalty at the crucial moment is something you just don’t see.

Benzema has never been a penalty taker. At Real Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo was solely in charge of this discipline, after his departure Sergio Ramos took over this responsibility. It was only since last season, when the experienced stopper was injured for the vast majority of the season, that the Frenchman started to take penalty kicks on a regular basis.

And watchful fans may have noticed something. Benzema has a favourite spot where he regularly takes penalties. It’s the bottom left corner. Against Celta Vigo recently he took three penalties, the first one he put in the middle and converted, the second one he put in his favourite spot and didn’t. Even so, he set up the third penalty again and again shot to his spot down the left. And he converted.

But he wasn’t so lucky last weekend. Real had two penalties, but goalkeeper Sergio Herrera did his homework honestly. Benzema directed both into the bottom left corner and both attempts were denied by the Osasuna goalkeeper.

And just like that, we’re in the Champions League semi-finals at Manchester City, with Real Madrid losing 2: 4 and objectively pulling out the short end of the stick. They can still take a very playable result from England, but they must convert the penalty that the referee gave away in the 82nd minute.

Mental confidence

No-one but Benzema was on the ball. It must have been running through his mind that it was a crucial penalty, because bringing home a two-goal and a one-goal loss is a huge difference. Surely it also flashed in his head that Ederson had watched the weekend’s penalties and was ready for it.

And what did the experienced Frenchman do? He ran on and sent the ball into the net with a light Antonín Panenka-style long ball. He brought Real Madrid back into the game in unique style. Where did he get the confidence to do that?

“Panenka after two missed penalties in Pamplona? I always say that if you don’t take penalties, you’ll never score one. It’s mental confidence, I have a huge amount of confidence,” Benzema told Movistar+ TV after the game.

“The goalkeepers had already read me where I like to kick penalties, so I had to change something. I had to keep my cool and believe in myself a lot at that moment. I did it and it turned out well,” added the hot Ballon d’Or candidate.

Source: Movistar+