Double standards at the Bernabeu: affection for Ronaldo, criticism for Benzema

Whilst there were plenty of plaudits for Isco and Marco Asensio for their performances during the game, particularly for the stunning goal scored by the latter, the opposite must be said of two key figures in Zidane's squad: Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.

Both the Portuguese star and the Frenchman are in disappointing form, especially in La Liga, where the two Real Madrid forwards have managed just one goal each after eleven matches. It's true that both players' campaigns have been disrupted by suspension and injury respectively, but even so, the numbers are poor.

Ronaldo has managed to disguise his poor league form with some fine performances in the Champions League. In the European competition he is the top scorer with six goals, after notching twice against APOEL, Dortmund and Tottenham. Also, before his five-game suspension, he scored against Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup.

His eight goals in all competitions go some way in explaining the difference in the treatment of the two players at the Bernabeu. For Ronaldo, everything was forgiven against Las Palmas, and he even received support from the crowd when he missed a chance in the second half, but with Benzema, patience is wearing thin.

The French striker was even booed by the most critical section of the Madrid fans. After fluffing his lines in the fourth minute in a one-on-one against Raul Lizoain, he then had another great chance with his head which he was unable to put on target. That was when the fans who are keeping a close eye on his performances met his misses with a chorus of whistles.

After the goals from Casemiro, Asensio and Isco the fans seemed to calm down, but with 15 minutes to go Benzema was substituted for Lucas Vazquez and the division of opinion amongst the supporters became clear, as he was applauded and booed at the same time as he left the field.

During the 75 minutes he was on the pitch, Benzema never stopped trying and tried to make up for his misses. He didn't get angry with anyone, except maybe himself, and he rarely gesticulates or tries to blame his team-mates. Quite the opposite to Ronaldo, who from the first minute seemed on edge and continued to quarrel with everyone.

He started at the beginning of the game by waving his arms in an obvious fashion at Toni Kroos after a failed pass, and ended with a "celebration" or lack thereof, for Isco's goal which he put on a plate for his team-mate. Whilst the other players showed the delight for the third goal, he stayed where he was and didn't even give a hint of a smile or go over to congratulate the goalscorer.

It seems that Ronaldo always wants more, and his lack of goals in La Liga is causing great anxiety for the player who always needs to score. And against Las Palmas he had up to four chances, two of them clear. He even started to look for potential penalties to put an end to his drought. He appealed strongly for every possible shout for a penalty in the hope that he would have the opportunity to break his duck from 12 yards.

For team-mates like Marcelo, there's no problem with the Portuguese star: "Strikers live for goals, that's normal. He's not scoring and he might seem frustrated, anxious. But calm down, we're talking about Cristiano, he has nothing to prove. I don't think he is anxious or frustrated. It's not about how he starts, but how he finishes," he told the press after the game.

At the end, Ronaldo's mistakes and gestures were greeted with applause and support from the fans in the Santiago Bernabeu. While Benzema, for his misses and calm demeanour, received whistles and boos. It is possible that different things are expected of the two players, but the fact is that for the same mistakes during the game, one received affection, while one received criticism.