Former Bayern Munich star Stefan Effenberg said he was baffled by criticism of Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema, who he believed was a great supporter for Cristiano Ronaldo.
Benzema's goal count this season is the lowest he's scored in eight years since he joined Real Madrid, scoring just nine goals in all competitions in the 2017-2018 season.
Such a performance also made Benzema once again a target of ridicule in the Bernabeu stands, and he has scored a total of 189 goals in the past nine seasons.
Real Madrid boss Zidane admits his fellow Frenchman has lacked confidence this season, but Effenberg believes these critics have overlooked the fact that Benzema has made great sacrifices for the team's superstar Cristiano Cristiano Ronaldo, who has once again exceeded the 40-goal mark this season.
Speaking to the newspaper As, before the Start of the Champions League semi-final between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, Effenberg said: "Why has Benzema been so criticized in Spain? ”
"He played football with Ronaldo and did a lot for Ronaldo."
'When he has a player like Cristiano Ronaldo by his side, it doesn't seem logical for me to criticize him for missing goals.
Effenberg believes Benzema can be compared to Bayern Munich striker Thomas Müller in order to support prolific team-mate Robert Lewandowski, who currently plays a very similar role to Benzema at the Allianz Arena.
Effenberg said: "Look at Muller, he used to score 20 goals per season, now he has fewer goals. ”
"The reason for that is that he is partnering with Lewandowski, and Lewan is thanks to Müller for scoring so many goals."
(Editor: Yao Fan)