Karim Benzema will be looking to inspire Real Madrid to a seventh straight victory in all competitions when the Frenchman lines up against Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday night.
The 33-year-old has been in strong form for Los Blancos this season, finding the back of the net on 16 occasions in 18 appearances in all competitions, in addition to contributing eight assists.
In La Liga, Benzema has managed 11 goals and seven assists in 13 outings, including a goal in Sunday's 2-1 home success over Sevilla.
Real Madrid are currently top of La Liga, four points clear of second-placed and reigning champions Atletico Madrid leading into the clash with Athletic.
Here, Sports Mole looks at how Benzema has fared against the Basque side in the past.
© Reuters
Benzema has faced Athletic 24 times during his Real Madrid career and boasts a strong record against them, winning 16 times, drawing five and losing on just three occasions.
The Frenchman has managed 14 goals and six assists against the Basque outfit, meanwhile, with the majority of the fixtures - 23 in total - taking place in Spain's top flight.
Benzema scored against Athletic in the semi-finals of the Spanish Super Cup earlier this year but could not prevent his side from suffering a 2-1 defeat, as the Lions set up a final with Barcelona.
The forward's La Liga record against Athletic, meanwhile, is 16 wins, five draws and two defeats from 23 matches, while he has scored 13 times and provided six assists.
© Reuters
Alongside Granada, Athletic have been Benzema's favourite opponents during his professional career in terms of finding the back of the net, with 14 goals against them his joint-best return.
The forward scored braces against the Basque side during the 2014-15 and 2015-16 campaigns, in addition to netting in both league fixtures during the 2016-17 season.
Arguably, though, Benzema's best ever performance against Athletic came at Bernabeu in April 2019, when he scored a treble in a 3-0 home success.
The Frenchman also scored twice when the two teams locked horns at Bernabeu last season, while he captained the Whites to a 1-0 victory in the clash at San Mames towards the end of the campaign.
Benzema has not actually lost to Athletic in the league since March 2015, so he should be full of confidence entering Wednesday's contest, as Carlo Ancelotti's side look to further stretch their lead at the summit.
