Benzema is a regular but often sacrificed

It took Karim Benzema longer than he might have expected, but finally he has fulfilled the role for which Real Madrid signed him back in 2009 - to become the regular number 9 shirt for the team. True, he was to some extent a regular in that position last season, but this is the season which has seen him start off there for nineteen games in a row. Or will have after the Levante game, which will be his nineteenth. Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that Benzema will be in his side for this match.

The last time he did not start was in the eighth match of the season, which also happened to be against Levante. He wasn't selected that day, being replaced by Chicharito; but since then, Benzema has become the player with the second highest number of goals and assists in the team. He has scored ten goals and provided seven assists.

All the same, the excellent figures being achieved by Benzema this season, 20 goals and 13 passes leading to goals over all competitions, do not mean that he is indispensable. Whenever Ancelotti needs to adjust his attack and make changes to the starting eleven, it is usually Benzema who is sacrificed. He has had to give way to another teammate on 24 occasions, which makes him the Real Madrid player who has been subbed the most this season so far. He has only managed to play the whole 90 minutes seven times out of the 24 league games he has started.