France international Benzema believes Di Maria can be the final piece in the puzzle as his new club Paris Saint-Germain chase success in this season’s Uefa Champions League.
“Di Maria can help a lot in the Champions League because he has the experience of big games and knows all about playing at a high level,” says Benzema, who expects to come up against his old teammate in Champions League action as PSG and Madrid are both in Group A.
“At Real Madrid, he did everything – he played in the middle, on the wing and even at left-back,” Benzema says.
“After [his] great season in 2014, when we won the Champions League and he reached the World Cup Final [with Argentina], I was very surprised it didn't work out at United.
“In a team, there is not one player who can do everything by himself,” he adds, but suggests Di Maria can provide the spark for PSG’s costly team to progress further in the Champions League in 2015/16 after falling at the quarter-final hurdle in each of the previous three campaigns.
“He has it all: speed, percussion and technique,” Benzema enthuses.
PSG kick off their campaign on Tuesday evening, at home to Malmo, the Swedish club where their star striker, Zlatan Ibrahimovic began his career. Madrid meanwhile, are at home to Shakhtar Donetsk.
PSG have never won the Champions League in eight attempts; their best achievement in European competition being their 1996 victory in the now defunct European Cup Winners’ Cup.