Karim Benzema’s strike against Eibar means he is now enjoying his best ever year in goalscoring terms. The striker has found the net 33 times in 2014, surpassing his previous highest total of 32, which he achieved in 2008 and 2011. The Frenchman has hit 26 for Real Madrid and 7 for his country.
As for the competitions Benzema has scored in, he has notched 16 in La Liga, 8 in the Champions League, 2 in the Copa del Rey, 3 in the World Cup in Brazil and 4 in international friendlies. What’s more, he has had an excellent start to this season’s Champions League, getting on the scoresheet on each of the first four matchdays of the Group Stage.
Record with his national team
Benzema is also experiencing his highest-scoring year with the French national team. The Madrid man has picked up seven goals, a tally that he had never previously reached in the same calendar year. Since his first international goal, against Austria in March 2007, he has chalked up 25 for France’s senior side.
Up until 2014, Benzema’s record for international goals over the period of one year had been three, a total that he managed at this summer’s World Cup alone thanks to a brace against Honduras and one against Switzerland. He has also scored in the friendly matches against Jamaica (twice), Holland and Portugal.