For Karim Benzema, Vinicius Jr is the love of his life on the football field. In the early morning of April 6th, the Brazilian player once again assisted the 35-year-old French striker to complete a hat-trick against Barcelona.

In the 80th minute of the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final El Clasico, Real Madrid launched a lightning-fast counterattack. Young forward Vinicius Jr had the ball on the left flank. He dribbled with speed, calmly observing Karim Benzema’s movement. The young Brazilian star then delivered a precise through pass for his senior teammate to comfortably finish, facing Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, sealing a 4-0 victory for Real Madrid.

In Benzema’s hat-trick performance in the El Clasico, Vinicius Jr also played a decisive role in the second goal. It was none other than the 22-year-old forward who earned a penalty for Real Madrid. His skillful dribbling inside the penalty area caused Barcelona’s midfielder Franck Kessie to commit a foul. Benzema took responsibility for the 11-meter penalty kick and flawlessly converted it, facing Ter Stegen.

Not only in today’s match at Camp Nou, but the Brazilian forward has also been instrumental in setting up goals for his teammates throughout the season. Just a few days ago in the La Liga match against Valladolid, Vinicius Jr provided two assists for the former French international.

During the post-match press conference after the emphatic 6-0 victory over Valladolid, Benzema referred to Vinicius Jr as his “big buddy.” Benzema jokingly, yet partly seriously, stated that among all the forwards he has played alongside, he ranks Vinicius Jr even higher than his former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo. Indeed, while Ronaldo may have conquered the world, it is Vinicius Jr who has captured the heart of Benzema and become his beloved companion, according to the former French international.

Statistics show that out of Vinicius Jr’s 13 assists across all competitions this season, an impressive 7 of them have led to goals scored by Benzema. And that’s not even counting the opportunities created by Vinicius Jr that were unfortunately missed by the 35-year-old forward. The Brazilian star has been instrumental in providing scoring opportunities for Benzema, showcasing their strong on-field connection and chemistry.

The speed, intelligence, and world-class assists provided by Vinicius Jr when combined with Benzema are making him one of the best players in the world at his age.

In the 2021/22 season, out of Benzema’s 44 goals for Real Madrid across all competitions, Vinicius Jr contributed 10 assists. It feels as if the Brazilian forward understands his French teammate to the extent that he can pass the ball accurately to Benzema even with his eyes closed.

Not many people know that less than three years ago, Benzema didn’t like Vinicius Jr. During a Champions League match against M’Gladbach in October 2020, he spoke in French to his compatriot Ferland Mendy about Vinicius Jr, saying, “Hey, don’t pass the ball to that spoiled brat anymore. He only wants to show off and is affecting our style of play.”

Now, Vinicius Jr is everything to Benzema. It is not an exaggeration to say that the “spoiled brat” whom the French forward once found annoying has made significant contributions to Benzema’s 2022 Ballon d’Or title.

Of course, Benzema knows how to reciprocate with his younger teammate. He warmly guides and advises Vinicius Jr to continue improving himself. He also makes sure to provide him with scoring opportunities. In the 2022/23 season alone, Benzema has directly assisted Vinicius Jr four times, including the situation that helped him score the opening goal against Barca in today’s El Clasico.

If the deadly partnership of Benzema and Vinicius Jr continues to maintain their harmony and formidable form as they are now, Real Madrid has every hope of clinching titles in both the Copa del Rey and the Champions League this season!