Madrid (AFP)

One went through a complicated start to the season, the other stayed in the shadow of Ronaldo for a long time but Antoine Griezmann and Karim Benzema shine again and their duel could condition the turn of Clasico Barcelona - Real Madrid on Wednesday.

In this poster with a French accent (Varane, Zidane and Benzema expected on the Madrid side; Lenglet, Umtiti and Griezmann on the Catalan side), attention will be turned to the two scorer-stars with various fortunes this season.

While "KB9" has reigned over Spain since the start of the season, Griezmann (28), who joined Barça last summer for 5 years and 120 million euros from Atlético Madrid, experienced difficulties integrating into the blaugrana attack trident, with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.

- Griezmann, fall in wrestling, winter in goals -

The world champion, author of 6 goals and 4 assists in 20 matches with Barcelona (in La Liga and C1) this season, had a very lean autumn, with only one goal and without the least assists between October 19 and December 7, even when Barça was in its infancy.

But, since the end of November, this turbulence seems to have evaporated: Griezmann scored the third Catalan goal in the recital offered at Camp Nou against Dortmund (3-1) to hoist Barça in the knockout stages of the Champions League.

And above all he silenced the bad tongues, falling into the arms of his attacking partners, the best in Liga (2.7 goals / match), after having concluded Messi's perfect service. A pass, a goal, and everything is forgotten.

"The three scored, Leo offered Antoine a pass ... So you can't say anything now," French defender Clément Lenglet told reporters after the match.

"There will be even better matches," said Griezmann after the Wanda victory against Atlético Madrid (1-0) on December 1.

Again Saturday, it was he who allowed Barça to return to the score on the lawn of Real Sociedad (1-1, 38th), on a deep pass from Suarez, even if the Catalans ended up being hooked by the Basques (2-2).

- Benzema, the "flawless" -

Same scenario Sunday night in Valencia for Real. Hanging on, the Merengues still relied on Benzema to avoid defeat (1-1). At the end of the additional time (90th + 5), the fit man of the White House still put on his savior costume to equalize the snatch on a corner and continue the series of invincibility in progress (11 games) before the clasico.

Since the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo at Juventus Turin in the summer of 2018, the center forward has seen his aura grow and has changed into a role of mechanical goalscorer, carried by the confidence that Zinédine Zidane has given him since his return to the Madrid bench (March 2019).

"No (he has no faults)", summed up "Zizou" on December 7, after the victory over Espanyol Barcelona (2-0). "He's someone who is changing in the right direction. He is maturing a lot, that's what makes the difference," said the technician.

"This is my home here in Madrid. (...) I signed in Madrid 10 years ago to win titles and try to get into the legend of this club. And I'm getting there little by little" , smiled Benzema (31) after the draw (2-2) against Paris SG in the Champions League in late November.

The former Lyonnais is the 2nd top scorer in the Spanish championship (11 goals), behind Messi, and the most prolific French scorer in C1 history (64 goals). He is as much shunned by the French team as adulated in Spain, where he walks in the footsteps of Raul, legend of the Bernabeu.

"Footballistically, it's just the best," Zidane summed up on November 8.

The friendly rivalry that these two best enemies have built for five years during the Madrid Atlético - Real Madrid derbies has not stopped. It has simply transformed, and will be sublimated in the grandiose setting of the Clasico.

© 2019 AFP