Alan Shearer has warned Chelsea that stopping Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema will be like defending Harry Kane – but on another level.
The Blues face Los Blancos in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie on Wednesday. The two sides met at the semi-final stage last season, when Chelsea triumphed and progressed to a successful final.
Neither squad has changed much since the end of last term, but the circumstances around both clubs have.
Madrid are cruising to the La Liga title following their second-placed finish behind Atletico Madrid last season. Chelsea, meanwhile, have embedded Thomas Tuchel’s style after his new manager bounce led the Blues all the way in Europe last season.
As for both squads, both teams have many of the key players that featured in last campaign’s tie. Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante won UEFA’s Player of the Match award in both legs.
Meanwhile, Karim Benzema scored one of his 30 goals last term in the first leg. He has already hit 34 this season from 35 games and Shearer picked him out as Madrid’s obvious and biggest threat.
Indeed, the former Premier League striker picked out a trait Harry Kane has mastered in the Premier League that Benzema has been doing for years.
“It goes without saying that Chelsea’s main task in their Champions League quarter-final starting at Stamford Bridge tomorrow [Wednesday] is to stop him,” Shearer told The Athletic. “But that’s easier said than done.
“A key part of…
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