Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema talked to France Football about what has changed for him now that Cristiano Ronaldo is gone and that he’s required to do more every time he plays.

“Now I’m the one leading the attack. I used to play for Cristiano and I was trying to find him so that he could score even more goals,” said the Frenchman. “I was under the radar, now it’s up to me to prove that I want to score goals,” he added.

Benzema has been the leader of this team ever since the season started and has scored more goals than he did in previous seasons, when he was often criticized for his lack of scoring punch.

“It’s really sad that nowadays people care more about goals and stats than they do about the game. For me, football is most of all a game, it’s not about stats. This isn’t basketball! Football is and must keep being a show,” explained Benzema.

The French striker has scored 20 goals this season and will be a crucial player for Real Madrid if Los Blancos want to compete for titles this year.