Karim Benzema on Monday became the highest French goalscorer in history after his double gave Real Madrid a 3-0 win over RCD Mallorca, sending them 10 points clear at the top of La Liga.
However, the Frenchman had to go off late on with what looked like an injury in his lower left leg, giving Madrid a serious headache before Sunday’s El Clasico against Barcelona.
Vinicius Junior, who opened the scoring, and Rodrygo also suffered problems in the second half.
Photo: EPA-EFE
“We will look at it in the next few days,” Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said. “They don’t seem like very serious things. Rodrygo was a knock, Mendy has felt something in his adductor and Karim, after a jump, didn’t feel good. We’ll see if they can recover for Sunday.”
Benzema’s absence for the game at the Santiago Bernabeu would come as a serious blow to Madrid, after the striker continued his scintillating recent run with two more goals at Son Moix.
After scoring a hat-trick to help Madrid defeat Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 in the UEFA Champions League last week, the 34-year-old’s penalty against Mallorca took his career tally to 412 goals, putting him one above Thierry Henry in the all-time list of French scorers.
Benzema then made it 413 for him and three for Madrid with a superb header late on, only to limp off in obvious discomfort.
Madrid’s considerable advantage over Sevilla at the top of La Liga means the El Clasico this weekend does not carry the significance of previous meetings, even if Barca’s recent surge has had some wondering if a comeback is still possible.
Yet there is no doubt Barcelona would love to rubberstamp their progress under Xavi with a victory at the home of their fiercest rivals, while a win for Madrid would serve as further confirmation of their dominance this season.
“We have the advantage and it’s good at this point in the season,” Ancelotti said. “We have to think about winning on Sunday, that’s all.”
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