There was a time when Karim Benzema had to exist as No.2 to Cristiano Ronaldo as the Portuguese megastar stole the show at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The two arrived at Real Madrid within weeks of each other back in 2009 and enjoyed an era of success and dominance with the Spanish giants that would elevate them both to the top of the world as individual players.
But while Ronaldo was in town, Benzema was consigned largely to a supporting role, one he says he was happy to play.
“He was scoring 50 or 60 goals a year and I had to adapt myself to his game because of that,” Benzema said. “He is one of the best players in the world and I was happy to be at his side.”
When Ronaldo departed Madrid bound for Turin and Juventus, Benzema was finally able to step out of his former teammate’s shadow, admitting that: “The one thing I would say is that Cristiano leaving has allowed me to play a different role in the side."
Now, rather than Batman & Robin, their relationship is more akin to that of Batman and the Joker - adversaries going head-to-head rather than working hand-in-hand.
Ronaldo, at Al Nassr, and Benzema, at Al Ittihad, are now on opposite sides of the rivalry divide and, with both eyeing silverware and success this season for their respective Roshn Saudi League clubs, no love will be lost in the battle for supremacy.
Already this season we’ve seen the best of both as they lead their teams in their respective title challenges.
Ronaldo, who will turn 40 in February, came into the season on the back of his record-breaking efforts last season, with 35 goals in the league and 50 in all competitions. Although he claimed the 2023-24 RSL golden boot, Al Nassr finished 14 points behind Al Hilal in the chase for the championship crown.
Another year older, and approaching 40, there were question marks regarding his ability to reach those same heights again, but already after little more than one-third of the season, Ronaldo is showing he is far from the finished article.
In the 11 RSL matches he has played this season, he has found the back of the net nine times. His scoring rate is not far off his record-breaking achievements of last year.
Despite a sluggish start to the season, which saw Luis Castro replaced with Stefano Pioli in September, Al Nassr have started to find their groove, suffering only one defeat - a 2-1 loss to Al Qadsiah - in name games with the Italian in charge.
The arrival of the former AC Milan and Inter Milan manager has brought out the best in Ronaldo, with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner plundering seven goals in eight games in the RSL since Pioli’s appointment, and 11 in 13 in all competitions.
It’s allowed last season’s runners-up to haul themselves back into title contention in third place, although they’ll need to take points off league leaders Al Ittihad this weekend to start reeling in the eight-point lead of the Jeddah giants. The pair meet on Friday, in the stand-out fixture of Matchweek 13, the final round of the RSL before it pauses for its winter break.
The obstacle facing Al Nassr is obvious. It’s been a stunning reversal of fortunes for Al Ittihad this campaign after their disappointing title defence last season, and having a rejuvenated Benzema certainly helps.
Much changed at the club in the off-season, with a host of new faces and a new coach, Laurent Blanc, injecting fresh energy into the side - energy that has rubbed off on Benzema after he too experienced an underwhelming debut season in Jeddah.
However, 2024-25 - as he promised before a ball was kicked - would be different.
“This season we're all pulling in the same direction,” the former Real Madrid star told the RSL. “We have just one objective: to do well and win trophies. In the end, there won’t be any complicated discussions. We all work together.
“Personally, I feel great. The players who have arrived are ones I know, ones I played with in the national team... it’s good for the Saudi Pro League. It’s good for the club. It shows that we want to win.”
After last season’s frustration, for both club and player, some might say, as the captain and leader of the team, Benzema is under pressure to deliver. Those people don’t include the Frenchman, though.
“I've had this pressure since I was eight years old,” Benzema said. “For this coming season, I'm not going to call it pressure, but more ambition. I want to turn that pressure into ambition, which is what enables me to be good, to help my team win.”
He certainly isn’t playing like a man feeling the strain. In fact, he feels liberated, already equalling his RSL goal tally from last season in half the time, with nine in nine games. At 36, Benzema looks buoyed by the youthful energy of those around him, such as summer arrivals Moussa Diaby and Steven Berqwijn.
Only twice in the nine games that Benzema has played – he missed a couple matches last month through injury - has he failed to find the back of the net. Against Al Wehda in the “Old Derby” in Matchweek 3, Benzema bagged a hat-trick in the 7-1 rout.
It’s form that has shot Al Ittihad back to the top of the table and looking very much a team ready to challenge for silverware this season. With eight straight wins in the league, they are by far the league’s most in-form unit.
So now, this weekend, the two bulls lock horns in a game that will have significant implications for the title race, already this early in the campaign. Should Benzema get the better of Ronaldo it’ll take Al Ittihad 11 points clear of Al Nassr, which would feel a mountain to overcome for Pioli’s men.
However, should Al Nassr depart Jeddah for Riyadh with three points, the deficit will be cut to five and Al Ittihad could find themselves overtaken into top spot again by Al Hilal.
Gone are the shadows and supporting roles. Benzema and Ronaldo are two giants of the game, in imperious form and locked together on nine RSL goals, leading their teams in a must-win game for their respective clubs.
It doesn’t get much bigger - or better - than that.
When Benzema and Ronaldo met for first time in RSL - In Pictures
