Alan Shearer has told Chelsea that their main task against Real Madrid has to be stopping star striker Karim Benzema when the two teams clash in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
But he adds that it is a task easier said than done. In the last-16, Benzema blew Paris Saint-Germain away with a second-half hat-trick at the Bernabeu to earn a 3-2 aggregate win and set up the quarter-final clash with Thomas Tuchel's side.
Chelsea booked their own place in the last eight with a comfortable victory against Lille. However, having been rocked by Brentford on Saturday the Real Madrid attack may be excited by the prospect of testing the back-line again after the 4-1 defeat in west London.
"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 wrote in a piece for The Athletic. "But that’s easier said than done.
"A key part of Benzema’s game is his ability to come short, much as Harry Kane is doing so well at the moment. Kane’s getting the plaudits for doing it now, but Benzema’s been doing it for longer than he has."
This season has seen the 34-year-old net 34 goals in all competitions in just 35 games, including eight in seven Champions League games. He was a favourite of many to win last year's Ballon d'Or award and there is every chance he will be up there in the final standings again.
Shearer then went on to specifically analyse individual goals scored by the France international. This included a strike against Sheriff Tiraspol, one that the Premier League legend described as "unbelievable".
"This time, Sheriff Tiraspol have got a midfielder on the edge of the penalty area," Shearer wrote. "Three or four defenders in there, too. Benzema’s in the D beyond the 18-yard box.
"He knows where the goal is, doesn’t have to look. It’s about finding space, taking a touch and then the finish — it’s unbelievable because the keeper’s expecting him to go to his left, I think. It’s one of those: don’t watch the eyes. He’s shaped it to go across, then cut it back."
