Zidane: People who know football also know that Benzema is very good LaLiga - Eibar vs Real Madrid Discusses striker's showings, Neymar and Los Armeros

Real Madrid may have surpassed Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League last-16 but Karim Benzema didn't escape criticism for his lack of a goal across the tie, forcing Zinedine Zidane into a fresh defence of his striker.

Claiming that those who take aim at the French forward are not fully in tune with how football works, Zidane insisted that the player's record speaks for itself.

"I don't have to say if [criticism of Benzema] is unfair or not," noted the coach at his pre-game press conference.

"I'm interested in the work he does, I would have liked him to score because he had chances, but what he did, he did well for the team.

"I don't have to convince anyone. There are people who know football and they know that Karim is very good.

"There are always players that people like or don't like. There are people who like Isco and people who don't, that's going to affect you and not me.

"Karim has been here for nine years and I don't have to defend him, he is very good, I like him a lot.

"His record speaks for itself. He is the No. 9 of Real Madrid and we only focus on him more because he hasn't scored much lately.

"What they are criticising is that he hasn't scored but he has done other things for the team and that goal is going to come."

Neymar sat out the second leg at Parc des Princes and the idea that Los Blancos are readying a 400 million euro bid for the Brazilian was news to Zidane.

"I'm not going to talk about a player that is not mine," he added. "[PSG] paid 222m euros. When Real bought me it was 72m euros or I don't know how much, and it seemed crazy to me.

"Ten years later it is 222m euros. Within ten years we may reach 400m euros, or before."

Eibar are Real's opponents on Saturday and, despite a good record at Estadio Ipurua, Zidane is keen to rally his troops and ensure the game does not have an end of season feel to it.

"We expect another difficult league match, at a difficult ground with a small pitch," the Frenchman said.

"It will be difficult to score points because they are having a very good season. We have to play a great game to win.

"There are moments in a season in which it is always difficult to keep your levels high. This league season has had ups and downs. When you see that you have a big gap from those at the top, it is tough for us mentally.

"My message to the squad is that we are not going to lower our arms."