In a campaign that saw Real Madrid coast to yet another La Liga title, it was fitting that the top goalscorers award should also have been sewed up comfortably by a Los Blancos player.
Striker Karim Benzema has been prolific for Carlo Ancelotti's side this season, with the 34-year-old scoring 44 goals in 45 games across all competitions. That number could go up further if the Frenchman finds the target in the Champions League final against Liverpool on Saturday.
Benzema is now Real's joint second-highest scorer of all time after moving level with Raul's 323 goals leaving only Cristiano Ronaldo, who left the club in 2018, ahead of him with 450.
“I have difficulty calling Benzema only a centre-forward because he’s a fantastic player that’s playing from the front,” Ancelotti told SiriusXM FC’s The Football Show recently.
“He’s not only a top scorer but he also provides assists for his teammates and partakes in the build-up of play. He’s a complete player and for us he’s really important because he scores so many goals. He’s a top, top player and I think he’s the best right now.
“I think Karim became a leader of the team when Ronaldo left because at that time he had more responsibility.
“Ronaldo was a player that was scoring around 50 goals a season and without him Madrid had more difficulties to score goals. Karim took on this responsibility and became more important for the team.”
You can see the list of top goalscorers and goal providers from the 2021/22 La Liga season in the gallery above. To move on to the next photo, click on the arrows or if using a mobile device, simply swipe.
