No one knows what it takes to be a no.9 more than Karim Benzema, and he now has some advice for Kylian Mbappe.
Benzema became one of the greatest strikers of all time at Real Madrid before joining Al Ittihad in 2023.
A year later he was replaced by Mbappe, who’s also been his heir with the French national team.
However, despite Mbappe’s world-class reputation and eight goals in 14 games, he’s largely been ineffective and looked well short of the man many consider PSG’s greatest-ever player.
Benzema thinks there’s a simple explanation.
“He is not a 9. Every time he plays 9 with the national team, he is not good, it is not his position,” Benzema told El Chiringuito.
“But the problem is that on the left, there is a boy who looks like him, so with the competition from Vinícius, he will have to change his plans.”
Benzema’s solution for Mbappe isn’t to fight for his natural position on the left, but instead improve his game as a striker.
“He must not give up because I think Vinícius is not going to move,” Benzema said. “Mbappé must get it into his head that now he is 9, he must forget the left wing.”
Benzema then ended on a positive note, saying: “People ask a lot of him, there is a lot of pressure, and it is true that it is not Paris Saint-Germain.
“He must learn to live with the pressure, but there is no reason to worry because Ancelotti knows everything and will find the solution.”
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