Raul ranks Clasico rivals Benzema and Lewandowski alongside Haaland as world's best

By Sports Desk October 11, 2022

Real Madrid great Raul ranks Clasico rivals Karim Benzema and Robert Lewandowski alongside Erling Haaland as the best strikers in world football.

And with the campaign's first meeting between Madrid and Barcelona coming on Sunday, Raul hopes Benzema will outdo Lewandowski at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday.

Madrid and Barca are level on 22 points in LaLiga after eight matches, with an enthralling title race seemingly in store after Los Blancos triumphed by 13 points last term. 

The arrival of Lewandowski has been key to Barca's re-emergence, with the Poland international scoring nine times in his first eight outings in LaLiga.  

Lewandowski's ominous start to life in Spain suggests he is likely to surpass Benzema's league-high tally of 27 league goals from last season.

Raul is full of admiration for both players, ranking them alongside Haaland – the leading scorer in Europe's top five leagues with 20 goals already to his name for Manchester City – but naturally Madrid talisman Benzema will get the 45-year-old's backing.

"They are possibly the best strikers, with Haaland. They are the ones who have the most scoring ability and contribute the most to their teams," said Raul, who is now head coach of Real Madrid Castilla.

"Lewandowski is a great signing for LaLiga, he is showing his quality. But I hope that the battle of scorers on Sunday will be won by Benzema.

 

"I see it as a very exciting game, as always. They both arrive with the same points. It's too early [to judge], because it's in October. Whoever wins will be able to come out stronger mentally. 

"It will be a very demanding game and Madrid, playing at home and being with their people, have a bit of favouritism."

Benzema overtook Raul to go second in Madrid's all-time scoring charts in August, though his tally of 327 goals remains some way short of Cristiano Ronaldo's record haul (450). 

Meanwhile, Raul's 15 goals in meetings between Madrid and Barcelona has only been bettered by three players – Lionel Messi (26), Alfredo Di Stefano and Ronaldo (both 18).

With Raul cutting his coaching teeth in Madrid's youth system, his ambition is to take charge of the senior side in a future Clasico.

He added: "I would like to, but now I am very happy where I am, working with my boys. 

"I am happy and I am going to enjoy it as a fan, wanting us to achieve those three points that will not define anything, but will give more confidence and morale to the winner."

Both teams have Champions League fixtures to focus on before Sunday's meeting, with Madrid facing Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday before Xavi's men host Inter the following day.

Related items

  • Van Dijk hails Hungary 'strength' for playing on after coach collapse Van Dijk hails Hungary 'strength' for playing on after coach collapse

    Virgil van Dijk saluted Hungary for playing on after assistant coach Adam Szalai appeared to suffer a fit during their Nations League clash.

    Play was suspended for 13 minutes at the Johan Cruijff ArenA while Szalai was treated pitchside, with staff and substitutes forming a protective barrier around him.

    The 36-year-old was taken to Amsterdam Hospital, where he later revealed he was "doing well" on his social media channels.

    Although Hungary agreed to play on, the Netherlands ran out comfortable 4-0 winners to book their place in the Nations League quarter-finals.

    Wout Weghorst and Cody Gakpo were on target from the penalty spot during the first half, while goals from Denzel Dumfries and Teun Koopmeiners after the break saw the Oranje secure second place in Group A3.

    And Van Dijk paid tribute to his side's opponents.

    "That was quite a shock, of course," he told NOS. "You see someone lying down, you see someone shaking. That is quite scary. But thankfully, at a certain point, it became clear that he was stable. I hope he is doing well and that he recovers quickly.

    "They had to decide whether they wanted to continue playing. I think it shows a lot of strength that they did carry on. I have a lot of respect for that."

    On his side's performance, Van Dijk added: "The pitch was very fast, but that's no excuse. It was sloppy.

    "In the end, we won deservedly and that's the most important thing. We go to the quarter-finals, we win, we keep a clean sheet."

  • Nagelsmann impressed after biggest win of Germany tenure Nagelsmann impressed after biggest win of Germany tenure

    Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann was impressed by his team after they inflicted a heavy 7-0 defeat on Bosnia-Herzegovina in the Nations League.

    The thumping win in Freiburg secured top spot for the Germans in Group A3, with Nagelsmann's side now five points clear of second-placed Netherlands with one game to go. 

    Florian Wirtz and Tim Kleindienst netted two each, while Jamal Musiala, Kai Havertz and Leroy Sane were also on target in the victory that was Germany's biggest win since Nagelsmann took charge in September 2023. 

    The former Bayern Munich manager, who replaced Hansi Flick, failed to take hosts Germany past the quarter-finals in the summer's Euros, but his side now have a chance of securing their first silverware under the 37-year-old.

    "We have no injuries from the game and our counter-pressing was extraordinarily good," Nagelsmann said after the game. 

    "And then to score seven goals against an opponent sitting so deep is something. 

    "We wanted to win possession and then quickly play the ball forward, be quick in transition and find those runs, something we did not do often enough at the Euros [in June]. We did it well," he said. 

  • Glenmuir outclass STETHS 5-2 to maintain daCosta Cup dominance; McGrath, Garvey Maceo, Ocho Rios also into semis Glenmuir outclass STETHS 5-2 to maintain daCosta Cup dominance; McGrath, Garvey Maceo, Ocho Rios also into semis

    Glenmuir High continued their dominant march in the ISSA/Wata daCosta Cup with an emphatic 5-2 victory over St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) in their final Group A quarterfinal match on Saturday.

    In a display of clinical finishing and cohesive play, Glenmuir, through goals from Orel Miller (12th), Conroy Nicely (32nd), Orane Watson (45th and 67th), and Ricardo Binns (90+1), overwhelmed their opponents at home in Santa Cruz to further solidify their status as title favourites. Justin McPherson (80th) and Shemmar Smith (83rd) got STETHS consolation.

    The win saw Glenmuir finish atop the group with maximum nine points, five points ahead of McGrath High, who blanked Frome Technical 4-0 to also book a semi-final berth. They finished ahead of STETHS on goal difference after both ended on four points each.

    Glenmuir’s Head coach, Andrew Peart, was again pleased with how his team went about business.

    “Every game you play, you try not to concede but we can live with it. We were 4-0 up when we conceded so we can work on those. I thought today was one of the displays that you’re really proud of; at the start we weren’t really in control but we managed to settle and play our game and score some goals so again, I am really proud of them,” Peart said in a post-game interview.

    Though a bit slow out the blocks, Glenmuir quickly gathered momentum and broke the deadlock inside 15 minutes when Miller capitalized on a perfectly weighted cross from Tajaun Cummings, rising above defenders to power a header into the net.

    STETHS had a chance to respond shortly after but Deandre Barnett’s header struck the upright.

    That was all STETHS would get at that point as Glenmuir extended their lead two minutes past the half-hour mark with a goal that showcased their set-piece prowess. A weighted corner kick from O’Neil Headly was cleverly flicked on by Dusting Cohen, allowing Nicely to tap in at the far post.

    Watson added his name to the scoresheet just before halftime, when he slotted into an empty net after STETHS’ goalkeeper Johnoi Steadman advanced and failed to get a hand on Okeem Saunders’ perfectly measured cross. caused confusion in the STETHS defense, with misjudging the delivery as Glenmuir went 3-0 up at the interval. 

    Glenmuir maintained their attacking intensity at the restart, with Watson again proving troublesome.

    In the 67th, Saunders once again played provider, delivering a precise pass that Watson controlled expertly before unleashing a powerful drive from the edge of the box. With that, his second goal of the game, Watson took his tally to 31 for the season, a testament to his exceptional form.

    Despite trailing by four goals, STETHS showed resilience in the final 10 minutes. McPherson pulled one back in the 80th minute, finishing from close range to bring the home crowd to life.

    Just three minutes later, McPherson turned provider, delivering a pinpoint cross that Stewart headed home for his fifth goal of the season.

    However, Glenmuir had the final say as Binns found himself unmarked in the penalty area and easily headed home a perfectly floated cross from Cohen to complete the rout. It was Binns’ seventh goal of the season and a fitting end to a commanding performance.

    STETHS’ Head coach Omar Wedderburn and his troops will now have to look to the Ben Francis Cup for redemption.

    “We weren’t focused enough in the first half and three goals scored from the service. We tried to make some adjustments in the second half but it barely bore fruit but that’s how it is; it is a hard one to digest and we just have to do what we have to do,” he noted.

    Saturday’s Results

    Glenmuir 5, STETHS 2

    McGrath 4, Frome Technical 0

    Munro College 3, Central High 1

    Ocho Rios 2, Garvey Maceo 0

© 2024 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.