"Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo had those numbers" - Sergio Aguero picks his 2022 Ballon d'Or winner
Sergio Aguero has compared Karim Benzema to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, and claims the Real Madrid forward should win the Ballon d'Or.
Benzema bagged two more goals in his side's 4-3 first-leg defeat against Manchester City in the Champions League semi-final.
The 34-year-old has scored an incredible 41 goals in 41 games across the current campaign, including 14 strikes in 10 Champions League appearances.
๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐จ ๐ค๐ฃ๐ก๐ฎ ๐๐ช๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐๐๐ช๐ฃโฆ ยก Somos el Real Madrid ! โ๏ธ๐ค #Nueve #HalaMadrid #UCL #Alhamdulilah ๐คฒ๐ผโค๏ธ https://t.co/e6adMFSzly
City legend Aguero claims Benzema is currently at the level of Ronaldo and Messi, who have won every Ballon d'Or except one since 2008.
When asked by ESPN Argentina who should be in contention for the prestigious award this year, Aguero replied:
"Benzema should be there. Messi and Cristiano (Ronaldo) had those numbers in the Champions League."
The France international has dragged Madrid into the last four of Europe's premier club competition, having scored hat-tricks against PSG and Chelsea in the previous knockout rounds.
Having looked down and out in both ties so far, Los Blancos will not be too disappointed to head into next week's second leg at the Bernabeu with only a one-goal deficit, especially considering the amount of chances City missed.
Benzema scored Madrid's opener with a sublime left-footed volley before rounding off the evening's goal with a Paneka penalty late on.
Benzema has as many goals in England this season as Chris Wood
Benzema favorite to win Ballon d'Or thanks to Messi and Ronaldo level of numbers
One of the tie's key moments came within the last ten minutes of the pulsating Etihad encounter, when Aymeric Laporte was penalized for handball inside the area.
Benzema stepped up in the knowledge that he had missed two penalties in his previous game against Osasuna in La Liga.
But the Madrid number nine was the calmest man in Manchester, dinking the ball down the middle past a helpless Ederson. After full-time, the striker told Spanish TV, as per Sky Sports:
"I always have it in my head that if you don't take a penalty, you will never miss a penalty.
"That's mental confidence and that's all. I have a lot of confidence in myself, so I do it and it turns out well."
His manager Carlo Ancelotti said:
"I think he changed because the last two penalties were not good. He tried in training, I didn't know how he would shoot.
"He chose this (Panenka) and he did really well, showing strong personality and character. It's not easy in the semi-final of the Champions League to shoot a penalty like this."
๐ฃ โI might have to ask Ederson if he wants some salt and vinegar on that chip.โ ๐คฃ
@leehendrie77 reacts to Karim Benzemaโs โpanenkaโ penalty against Manchester City last night. ๐ https://t.co/BpSEnmxSBZ