Karim Benzema is again expected to lead the Real Madrid line on Saturday evening, when Los Blancos continue their La Liga campaign at home to Real Sociedad.
The 34-year-old has enjoyed an excellent 2021-22 campaign to date, scoring 26 times and registering 11 assists in 31 appearances in all competitions.
In La Liga, Benzema has 19 goals and nine assists in 23 outings, while he has netted in each of his last two appearances against Alaves and Rayo Vallecano in Spain's top flight.
Real Madrid are currently top of La Liga, six points clear of second-placed Sevilla, with the two teams seemingly going head-to-head in the title race.
Here, Sports Mole looks at how Benzema has fared against Real Sociedad in the past.
© Reuters
Benzema has faced Real Sociedad 18 times during his Real Madrid career and boasts an impressive record against them, winning 13 times, drawing once and losing on just four occasions.
The France international has managed eight goals and eight assists against the Basque outfit in all competitions, meanwhile, with all but one of the fixtures taking place in Spain's top flight.
Benzema has faced Real Sociedad on one previous occasion in the Copa del Rey, suffering a 4-3 defeat to the club in the quarter-finals of the 2019-20 tournament.
The forward's La Liga record against the Blue and Whites, meanwhile, is 13 wins, one draw and three defeats from 17 matches, while he has scored eight times and provided seven assists.
© Reuters
The Frenchman's first goals against Real Sociedad came in 2012, when he netted twice and provided one assist in a 5-1 victory for Real Madrid at Bernabeu in the latter stages of the 2011-12 campaign.
Benzema also struck twice and provided an assist against the Basque club during the 2014-15 La Liga season, in addition to scoring against them during the 2012-13 and 2013-14 campaigns.
The striker actually went five league matches without registering against Real Sociedad between December 2015 and January 2019 before netting home and away against the Basque side during the 2019-20 campaign.
Benzema drew a blank against Real Sociedad in the away fixture last season before missing the return match at Bernabeu through injury, while he only played 17 minutes of Real Madrid's 2-0 victory at Reale Arena earlier this season, with the forward picking up an injury in the early stages of the contest.
Matt Law
