Décines-Charpieu (France) (AFP)

Welcomed like a king at his home in Lyon ten years after his last visit, Karim Benzema embellished the evening of the France team against Finland (2-0) and that of the supporters, delighted to see their former prodigy again.

The Blues striker had never set foot on the lawn of Groupama stadium, but the 57,000 spectators were able to put him at ease: in a few minutes, "Benzegoal" found his landmarks at Décines-Charpieu at Gerland, the old stadium of OL.

Where he discovered the professional world, where he had not returned since November 2011 and a European trip from Real Madrid ...

There was, of course, the field, and this connection from Madrid with Antoine Griezmann, author of the first goal from an outside of a clever foot (25th) after a final pass from the player Merengue, and the second after a launch of intelligent play from the native of Lyon (53rd).

But there was also the atmosphere, and this is undoubtedly what Benzema will remember from this reunion with the supporters who accompanied his Lyon outbreak, from his first minutes in Ligue 1 in 2005, to his resounding transfer to Real in 2009.

"Beautiful! I expected it, because Lyon and I is a love story. It's one of my most beautiful emotions," he said at the microphone of TF1.

French striker Karim Benzema greets the supporters at the end of the match they won, 2-0 against Finland, during qualifying for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, on September 7, 2021 at Groupama Stadium in Décines-Charpieu, near Lyon FRANCK FIFE AFP

There is no doubt that the thousands of flags waved at the entrance of the players for the warm-up were mainly for him.

His face appears on the giant screen?

The cheers multiply.

He scores during the warm-up?

Bursts of joy in the stands.

The kick-off barely given?

The "Karim, Karim!"

already resonate.

- "Welcome to your home" -

In the presidential stand, Jean-Michel Aulas, president all smiles of OL, poses with the jersey of the N.19 of his former player.

"Benzema, welcome home", we read on a banner deployed by the "Bad Gones", a group of Lyon supporters who came to support the Blues ... and their idol, who will greet them with warm applause during the match and after the match. final whistle, under a long ovation of several minutes.

In the side stand, several dozen relatives could not miss this: Benzema sends them a few knowing winks and a few thumbs up.

A little more than 6 kilometers to the south-west of there, in the Teraillon district, that of his childhood in Bron, the absent must also vibrate for their local glory.

"Karim is the past and the future. He is a child of OL," Aulas said over the last few days, half-dreaming of a possible return of "KB9" to OL at the end of his career.

French striker Karim Benzema tries to outflank Finnish defender Juha Pirinen, during qualifying for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, September 7, 2021 at Groupama Stadium in Décines-Charpieu, near Lyon FRANCK FIFE AFP

But at 33, the Madrilenian still seems at his highest level, on the momentum of this Euro missed by the Blues but successful on a personal level, with four goals on the clock.

- Connection with Griezmann -

Discreet Wednesday against Bosnia and Herzegovina (1-1), replacing three days later in Ukraine (1-1), the striker probably prepared this meeting with care.

And it is precisely when he resumed colors that the Blues raised their heads, after the elimination in eighth of the continental competition against Switzerland, and five consecutive draws.

Without injured Kylian Mbappé, the Blues attack turned into a winning trio, with Anthony Martial, Griezmann and Benzema.

The duet between "Grizou" and "KB", in particular, proved devastating for Finland, as it had been at the end of 2015, a few days before the long sidelining of the second after the eruption of the Case known as the "sextape" of Mathieu Valbuena.

French strikers Antoine Griezmann and Karim Benzema confer before taking a free kick against Finland, during qualifying for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, on September 7, 2021 at Groupama Stadium in Décines-Charpieu, near Lyon FRANCK FIFE AFP

Together, the two partners made up for lost time on Tuesday.

A little too late to have shown it at the Euro, but perhaps soon enough to reproduce it at the 2022 World Cup, which they are fast approaching.

At Benzema, he only missed one goal to complete the evening of reunion, but Lukas Hradecky deflected his final strike (86th).

French striker Karim Benzema shoots in front of Finnish defender Leo Vaisanen, during qualifying for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, on September 7, 2021 at Groupama Stadium in Décines-Charpieu, near Lyon FRANCK FIFE AFP

"It's like coming home," he warned in an interview with the local newspaper Le Progrès on Tuesday morning.

"It's Lyon, where I started my story, where I flamed".

The Blues now hope that Karim Benzema will make them flare up until the World Cup-2022, at least.

© 2021 AFP