Real Madrid’s draw against Real Sociedad highlights the excessive dependence on Karim Benzema and the need to sign a goalscorer

Karim Benzema is the sole survivor of Real Madrid’s’ BBC ‘attacking trident, and Los Blancos’ confidence in the French forward is already a concern in 2020-21.

Since the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo in 2018, Madrid have found goals much harder to come by and now that Gareth Bale is also gone, Benzema is the last man standing of that legendary front three.

Once considered the weak link, Benzema was at his best last season when Zinedine Zidane’s side won LaLiga, but Sunday’s 0-0 draw at Real Sociedad highlighted the need for another scorer.

Madrid dominated possession at Anoeta, but rarely seemed to score, conceding the two best chances of the night to their rivals: a shot by Alexander Isak superbly saved by Thibaut Courtois and a volley by Ander Barrenetxea that went wide.

Benzema deviated a couple of times and also saw a blocked effort, but the Frenchman endured one of his most forgettable evenings and Madrid’s attack lacked spark.

That was perhaps understandable given the lack of a proper preseason, in addition to the fact that first-choice attackers Eden Hazard and Marco Asensio were lost through injury.

But it is also a concern for Madrid’s aspirations to claim back-to-back LaLiga titles for the first time since 2008 and can be difficult to address in a transfer window that is unlikely to include major signings.

El Real has limited funds available due to Covid-19, despite a series of big sales this summer, and it is understood that Los Blancos are saving their money for one or two big transfers in 2021.

Forwards Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland will be top of their list, but how could the club with an attacker of that caliber now do it to lift the load and help Benzema.

Against Real Sociedad, Zidane sent young Marvin and Sergio Arribas for his debut, but ignored forwards Luka Jovic and Borja Mayoral despite the need for a goal.

“It’s difficult because if you put another forward, you have to change the form and we didn’t want to do that,” Zidane said afterward.

That was in line with his point of view last season, when Benzema played almost 14% of total minutes in LaLiga and probably benefited more than anyone from the break during the confinement.

Madrid scored relatively low 70 league goals in 2019-20, a small improvement over the 63 in 2018-19. In the previous three seasons, with Ronaldo still at the club, Los Blancos scored 99, 106 and 110.

Zidane has said “anything can happen” until the transfer window closes on October 5 and former Paris Saint-Germain forward Edinson Cavani has reportedly been offered a two-year contract to Madrid.

The Uruguayan is available for free, but Madrid would have to pay his salary of about 7 million euros per season. Any move is also likely to only materialize if Jovic and Mariano (neither of whom seem to have the confidence of their coach) leave the club in this window.

And while such a signing would only be a short-term solution, it may boost Madrid’s hopes of retaining their title until the club targets more high-profile players next summer.

However, Zidane would still have to play with him …