Kings of #ElClasico: Benzema & Pique

It’s a fixture that’s been earmarked in fans’ diaries for months, a clash between two powerhouses that attracts more coverage than any other game on the planet. The Santiago Bernabeu is set to host the latest instalment of the ElClasico showdown between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, the two most decorated clubs in the history of the Spanish game, this Sunday, 20 March.

This meeting between old foes will be graced by some of LaLiga Santander’s hottest talents, who will be out to prove their worth in this show-stopping match. Expectation levels amongst lovers of the game are at fever pitch for a fixture that’s sure to serve up plenty of thrills and spills. Of all of the on-field duels, the one that catches fans’ imagination is the heavyweight clash between the teams’ talismanic captains: Karim Benzema and Gerard Pique. 

The duo boast bags of experience in such games and will be raring to pit their wits against each other for another 90 minutes on Sunday. Whilst Benzema is the focal point in the Blancos’ attack, Pique is very much the main man in Barça’s backline.

Benzema is enjoying a sensational campaign and not only does he head up the team’s scoring charts, he’s also the top marksman in LaLiga Santander after having plundered 20 goals in the 1,972 minutes he has clocked up this season. The Lyon-born sharpshooter is one of the Madridistas’ leading lights and the first names on Carlo Ancelotti’s team sheet. Indeed, the French forward has started all 24 of the league games he’s been involved in this term.

However, there’s so much more to Benzema’s game than his goalscoring exploits. As well as sitting pretty in third spot in Real Madrid’s all-time goal standings, he also tops the team and top-flight assist charts after having laid on no fewer than 10 goals. In short, the French hitman has led from the front in Madrid’s attack this term and will be itching to deliver yet another eye-catching display in ElClasico.

However, if he’s to add to his goals tally, the Merengues’ prolific finisher will have to get the better of one of the best defenders in the league in Pique. The Barcelona skipper is the glue that holds the Azulgranas’ backline together and he acts as a role model as he displays the values instilled in him during his rise from the club’s fabled La Masia academy to the first-team ranks. The Catalan stopper has featured 23 times this season and taken his place in the starting XI in 21 of those outings. What’s more, the influential defender serves as one of Xavi’s on-field spokesmen.

In terms of their stats, the Blaugranas’ centre-back has come out on top in 171 of his duels this season, whilst Benzema has won 128 of the individual battles he’s contested. Meanwhile, only one of Pique’s teammates has chalked up more recoveries than the commanding defender’s haul of 31. Witnessing these two star men do battle on Sunday will be just one of the many highlights of what promises to be a highly intriguing ElClasico contest.

The pair have been turning in stellar performances in LaLiga Santander’s ElClasico for the past decade and have earned themselves a reputation of being difference-makers every time they cross that white line. These two legends of the world game know exactly what it takes to deliver on this stage and whilst one of them will be doing his all to find the back of the net, the other is tasked with keeping the shackles on one of the most potent strikers on the planet. So we suggest that you sit back, get comfortable and lap up all of the action as the great #ElClasico kings bid to get the better of their opposite number in Sunday’s blockbuster bout.