Karim Benzema has pledged there will be no complacency as he seeks to land a regular starting role with Real Madrid. The French striker was initially out of favour with Real boss Jose Mourinho when the Portuguese took over at the Bernabeu last term. But he has since won his manager's praise, with Mourinho recently declaring Benzema is 'much better than this time last year'. Following an impressive pre-season, the 23-year-old started the 2-2 first leg Spanish Super Cup draw at the Bernabeu on Sunday, setting up Mesut Ozil for the opener. He insists he will continue to work hard to impress his boss and win a starting role on a regular basis. Asked if he is now Real's first-choice striker, he told AS : "What I'm doing is working to have the role permanently. "This is the challenge that lies ahead of me. In a team like Madrid, each situation is won every day. That's why there is never room for complacency." Understands He added he understands what Mourinho wants from him now. "I never had any problems with Mourinho. I talked to him and now I understand perfectly what is expected of me," he said. The striker believes Real can win the second leg of the Super Cup at the Camp Nou on Wednesday. "Two great teams faced each other, but honestly, Madrid deserved the win," he said. "We did much more than Barça, but, hey, we know we have the chance to win tomorrow in Barcelona and lift the Supercup." He added: "There are many things that have changed since last season. This time, we had control of the field and we didn't let them play. That's exactly what's required against an opponent like that."
