Karim Benzema’s role on Sunday
Karim Benzema was the footballer who generated the most value at Anfield. Nine days later he was designated as the least productive in the Cup Classic. The Frenchman symbolizes the moment of Madrid, capable of being one thing and the opposite without changing the week. With nine shots he scored five goals for Liverpool ; with 15 he did not help him to knock down an Atlético with ten ; with 13, all out, they fell to Barça . In the last two matches he was well above average in possession of him (62%), a fact that in football is misleading, and well below in efficiency. So Betis awaits a shot into the air. The fatigue of Madrid and the atmosphere of Villamarín play in favor of the Verdiblancos. Against,Pellegrini’s losses, because his two best footballers, Fekir and Canales, will not be at the event (follow the game live on As.com) .
Breaking the streak
The Frenchman broke the cruciate on his left knee last week in Elche. In 2015, with France, he had the same injury to his right and it took him seven months to return. Canales, for his part, suffered a muscle injury against Valladolid and did not arrive in time to face Madrid. Both are the team’s second highest scorers (six goals per head) and the setters of the Verdiblanco game, although the level of one and the other is not that of last year, in which Fekir participated in 50% of the team’s goals and Channels, at 34%.In this campaign, neither of them is among the twenty most influential players in the First Division in the offensive aspect. This will be the first time that neither Fekir nor Canales are in a match in this League. The previous one was in April 2022 and the team beat Osasuna 4-1. These casualties could open a gap for Rodri , who between the ages of 10 and 16 tried out the youth academies in Madrid, Atlético, Espanyol, Barcelona and Deportivo to end up in the Betic youth team.