El Clasico: Benzema explains why he is often seen shouting at Vinicius Jr.

The relationship between Real Madrid forwards Karim Benzema and Vinicius Jr. has been the subject of a lot of speculations. Friction between the two players has been suspected because Karim Benzema is often seen shouting at the teenager. However, the Frenchman has clarified that he only does so to push his teammate in the right direction.

Benzema was left with the burden of leading the Real Madrid attack after the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo in 2018. Vini Jr. was brought up the ranks by former manager Santiago Solari, and his initial outings were very promising. However, the young Brazilian has become inconsistent and has faced a lot of criticism for his finishing.

With the guidance of Benzema, Vini has started to polish his skills and his brace against Liverpool last Tuesday may have given him the confidence to make an impact during the upcoming El Clasico on Saturday.

"Vini is a very young player, but I believe in him because he has everything to succeed here. This is why I talk a lot with him on the pitch, sometimes it's a little loud, but that is because of him. He can give more, because when he wants to be, he is a phenomenon," said Benzema.

The Frenchman explained that even if he shouts sometimes, his intention is to help his teammate become the best that he can be. He knows that the upcoming match is crucial, and a lot is expected from the forwards. "The Clasico for me is the best game in the world. Not only for me, but for everyone, because there are two teams that have a lot of history. It's always a very important match," he said as quoted by Marca.

Benzema has been enjoying a good season so far, but he refuses to think that it has been his best. "Every year I start from scratch and I want to improve on the previous one. Now I'm on a scoring streak and if I can continue, with work to help my team win points and games, I'm going to do it. The important thing is to win."

Every win is important indeed, with manager Zinedine Zidane famously saying that every upcoming match is now a final. The club needs to win every remaining match if they want to retain their La Liga title, with both Barcelona and Atletico Madrid still ahead of them on the table. The crucial phase of the UEFA Champions League has also arrived, with Real Madrid hoping to advance to the semi-finals after defeating Liverpool 3-1 in the first leg of the quarters.