Benzema deletes Instagram hours after thrashing at the hands of Ronaldo

The Real Madrid legend and current Al Ittihad star moved to Saudi Arabia during the summer window, but things haven't gone well so far.

Last season's champions sacked their title-winning manager Nuno Espirito Santo mid-season - after a row with the ex-Real Madrid striker - and are currently on a dire run of form with four losses in five games.

On Boxing Day, they were smashed 5-2 by Al Nassr, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mane both scoring twice in the drubbing.

Benzema managed an assist, his fourth in 14 games, while his total of nine goals has come under scrutiny.

That's seen the Frenchman seemingly give up on the external pressure, either deleting or suspending his Instagram account.

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Benzema was the fifth most-followed footballer on the social platform, with only Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe boasting a higher number of fans.

His frustrations may come as little surprise given Al Ittihad's form, with them now sixth in the Pro League, a huge 22 points behind leaders Al Hilal.

He's also attracted intense criticism from the media in Saudi, with one of the country's most popular sports journalists, Walid Al-Faraj, singling-out the 36-year-old.

"The gap between Benzema and the public is growing day by day," he said on Action Avec Walid.

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"He never managed to make a difference. And above all, he doesn't make any effort. It's as if he's saying to the audience: 'I'm just having fun with you.'

"When Ronaldo arrived in January, he showed signs he wanted to play, but Benzema has offered nothing.

"It's like the team doesn't like him. He is uncomfortable. I don't know the reason."