It was a tough ask, but there was a time when Eden Hazard would have risen to the occasion.
Real Madrid were without talisman Karim Benzema for Sunday’s match against Real Mallorca in La Liga. The French goal machine picked up what Carlo Ancelotti described as a “small issue” in the 3-0 win over Celtic in the Champions League on Tuesday. Now was Hazard’s chance to fill his boots.
The Belgian forward had already played an hour in the role, having been chosen by Ancelotti as the best replacement for Benzema in Glasgow. He even scored against Celtic, registering what was just his seventh goal in 69 appearances for Real since he made his blockbuster transfer from Chelsea for a fee which could exceed £150million back in June 2019.