Without Karim Benzema, there are no goals at Real Madrid

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There was no Karim Benzema and there were no goals for Real Madrid on Sunday night as they lost 1-0 away at Rayo Vallecano. Their dependence on the Frenchman was made clear before their latest slip, though, with the No.9 having scored each of their last eight goals.

Not since Dani Ceballos scored the second against Huesca on March 31 has another player netted for Los Blancos, with Benzema rounding out the scoring that day before going on to score against Valencia, Leganes, two against Eibar and then three against Athletic Club.

Overreliance on any one player is bad enough, even worse when that individual is likely to miss what’s left of the season, as Benzema is.

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Zinedine Zidane opted for Gareth Bale and Mariano Diaz up top, but neither delivered. The latter was barely served by his teammates, but he still showed more character than the Welshman.

The coach looked to change things in the second half by introducing Brahim Diaz, but he was unable to replicate the performance he put in against Getafe and couldn’t cause any damage or open his Madrid account.

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