Hazard struggled against Real's B team
After the national team gathering, Real's foreign team returned to the Valdebebas training center to prepare for the match against Valladolid on Sunday 2/4. Among these are Aurelien Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga, David Alaba, Rodrygo, Vinicius Junior, Eder Militao and Thibaut Courtois.
At the end of the training session, at the request of coach Carlo Ancelotti, the Real first team mixed with a group of players from the Castilla academy to divide the practice team. The match is divided into two halves of 30 minutes each. Hazard and Karim Benzema are notable for different reasons.
Hazard proved slow and physically inferior to the Castilla players. The ability to dribble and pass people, considered the Belgian striker's strongest point, is not shown.
Real used to pay $ 110 million to recruit Hazard in 2019, in addition to a salary of 40 million per season. However, injuries and uncontrolled weight problems made him almost "disappear" on the pitch. When Real won La Liga and the Champions League 2021-2022, the Belgian striker played only 23 matches and contributed one goal. In the first half of the 2022-2023 season, Hazard continued to disappoint with seven matches and one goal. At the 2022 World Cup, the 32-year-old star and the Belgian team had to return home from the group stage.
Hazard's contract with Real is valid until June 2024.
In contrast, Benzema showed an optimistic signal after a period of struggling with injury. In the first half, the French striker did not stand out or contribute much to the game. But in the second half, Benzema scored twice and played best on his side. The 35-year-old striker's contribution this season has been relatively limited and Real desperately need Benzema fit for the rest of the season.
Currently, Real is 12 points behind Barca and has almost no chance to compete in La Liga. In the King's Cup, they also lost the semi-final first leg 0-1 to Barca at the Bernabeu. The only arena left for Carlo Ancelotti's teachers and students to put their full faith in is the Champions League - where they are appreciated for their bravery and experience. If they beat Chelsea in the quarter-finals, Real will enter the semi-finals to meet the winner of the Man City - Bayern pair.
