Real Madrid: Karim Benzema has found best form after losing ‘two or three kilos’, says Arsene Wenger

Arsene Wenger believes Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema is producing the best form of his career at 34 years of age because he is now a ‘real athlete’.

Benzema took his goalscoring tally for the season to 43 on Wednesday night, slotting home a crucial penalty in Madrid’s dramatic Champions League semi-final win over Manchester City.

The France frontman has spent close to 13 years at Real, yet up until this campaign his best goal return in all competitions was 30.

Arsene Wenger says Karim Benzema’s remarkable rise is down to losing ‘two or three kilos’

Benzema bagged his 43rd goal of the season in Madrid’s dramatic victory against Man City

In the 2021-22 season Benzema has enjoyed an Indian Summer, with his devastating form in front of goal helping Carlo Ancelotti’s men win the Spanish title and reach this month’s Champions League final.

And Wenger puts his mid-30s improvement down to weight loss, claiming he had ‘two or three kilos too many’ up until the age of 30.   

‘It is something interesting that we are seeing across Europe now: the oldest strikers are the most efficient,’ the former Arsenal manager said on beIN SPORTS. 

‘Robert Lewandowski, Benzema, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, they are scoring goals at 35 and at 40.

‘The best strikers in Europe are all over 30 years of age. They use every opponent’s mistake.

Benzema is pictured celebrating against PSG in March (left) and taking a breather during a game in 2017 (right) before he lost weight, according to Wenger

The Frenchman shouts towards the Bernabeu crowd after scoring the winner against City

‘Benzema, I would say, until 30, had two or three kilos too many. Now he’s a real athlete and that’s why today, certainly, he’s one of the two or three best strikers in the world.’

Benzema has been one of the driving forces in Real’s remarkable run to the Champions League final, which has seen them topple PSG, Chelsea and City all in dramatic circumstances to reach the showpiece.

He netted back-to-back hat-tricks in their last-16 second leg against PSG and quarter-final first leg at Stamford Bridge, before also getting on the scoresheet in their decider against the Blues.

The veteran then followed that up by firing home a brace in last week’s opening 4-3 defeat against City, which preceded his winning penalty on Wednesday night. 

The former Arsenal manager believes he is now one of the top three strikers in world football

Wenger added about Benzema: ‘I would say he’s a demonstration of intelligence and efficiency. Everything he does is intelligent and looks simple. 

‘When I see him play, I think I could do the same. He smells the rhythm of the game like nobody else.’ 

Ancelotti has been well aware of Benzema’s importance to Madrid for a long time, saying before their quarter-final win over Chelsea: ‘We are dependent on Benzema. 

‘That’s how it is, we are not going to deny it. And I’m very happy that we are dependent on Karim. It’s a reality, and it’s a good thing.

‘Karim is a modern forward and [does] what is required of strikers. Everything, including defensive work. He is the perfect representation of what a centre forward should be in today’s football.’