Real Madrid

Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior will soon be "among the best" players in the world, according to his fellow Brazilian Ronaldinho.

The 19-year-old is in his second season at the Santiago Bernabeu since moving to Real from Flamengo, also a former club of Ronaldinho's, for £38.7 million.

His fine performances last term, when he made 18 La Liga appearances, were one of few bright spots for Real in a poor campaign.

So far in 2019-20, Vinicius has a goal and an assist in five La Liga outings.

And former Barcelona star Ronaldinho is convinced he is on the way to becoming a world superstar, per EFE (h/t Marca):  "[Vinicius] is already at one of the best clubs in the world. I think he will soon be there, among the best."

After a mixed start to the season from La Liga's biggest clubs, the top of the table has a familiar look to it eight games into the campaign:

Here's the table...

Just five points separate the top 6 in #LaLigaSantander! 🍿 pic.twitter.com/fjqwrPxyCt

— LALIGA English (@LaLigaEN) October 6, 2019

With the international break now out of the way, Real travel to Mallorca on Saturday looking for a win to at least maintain their two-point lead.

A week later, the first Clasico of the season between Barca and Real is scheduled to take place at the Camp Nou, although the venue could yet be changed:

The Clasico venue could be switched from Camp Nou to the Santiago Bernabeu after a week of political tension in Catalonia

— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) October 16, 2019

Ronaldinho outlined his hopes for the fixture: "I hope it's a great game, that it has many goals and that the big names show up."

There is a significant chance, though, that if the venue is not changed, the match may have to be postponed altogether:

The latest on El Clasico: both teams do not want the game to be played at the Bernabéu instead of Camp Nou AND Competition Committee will decide tomorrow or Friday about it. Suspension is a real possibility as, amongst others, Catalan Police recommends it https://t.co/zit1IKQFHG

— Guillem Balague (@GuillemBalague) October 16, 2019

Barcelona have recently had the edge against their biggest rivals, winning four of their last six against Real, and drawing the other two.  

There was a moment early in the La Liga game between Real Sociedad and Alaves last month that stopped football fans in their tracks. The game at the refurbished Anoeta Stadium was less than 20 minutes old when Martin Odegaard picked up the ball inside the Alaves half.

First, Odegaard skipped free of a challenge with a deft nutmeg. Then he bypassed two banks of eight defending Alaves players with a slide-rule pass into the path of his team-mate Mikel Oyarzabal, who dummied the goalkeeper with a feint before scoring the game's opening goal.

Odegaard's vision in picking out Oyarzabal wasn't an isolated moment. He has been phenomenal at Real Sociedad since linking up with the Basque team during the summer. He's arguably been the league's most exciting talent, having scooped the best player award for September.  

It seems that Odegaard, 20, is finally coming into his kingdom after years in the wilderness. He was signed by Real Madrid in January 2015 to much fanfare. Capped internationally by Norway at 15 years old, he got his first start with Real Madrid in a league game against Getafe in May 2015, coming on as a substitute for Cristiano Ronaldo at the Santiago Bernabeu. 

Martin Odegaard is La Liga Player of the Month for September 🔥

🎧 #BRFootballRanks | https://t.co/MRCOqOJVGX https://t.co/kK8elGcfyV

— B/R Football (@brfootball) October 4, 2019

But then his career stalled. He spent time in Real Madrid's Castilla—under the eye of reserve team coach at the time Zinedine Zidane—before being loaned out to a succession of clubs in the Dutch Eredivisie.

It's only now—after his sparkling displays have helped Real Sociedad to climb within a point of the UEFA Champions League places in the league table—that many Madridistas are taking notice of one of several promising players the club have out on loan.

"This year it appears that Odegaard is ready for Real Madrid," says Alfredo Relano, honorary president of Diario AS. "He's a player who has had very confusing treatment by the club. He was signed for ridiculous money. He was obliged to train with the first team. He played with Castilla where he was a reject. The coaching staff were expecting too much from him. Then he left, going abroad on loan periods.

"Now he's at Real Sociedad, I like a lot what I see. He's playing very well. He has tremendous vision. He looks like a guy who's very happy in the group, with his team-mates. He's in the middle of the hugs. It seems like he could have the personality to be a leader."

The question is where would Odegaard fit if he returns to Real Madrid's squad. The club is overstocked with No. 10s—Isco, James Rodriguez, Eden Hazard, the injured Marco Asensio, Rodrygo, Brahim Diaz, to name a few. Even Karim Benzema, head coach Zidane's favourite striker, has the soul of a No 10. The fault lies with the club's president Florentino Perez, who has a weakness for players in this position.

"It's true Real Madrid has a lot of No. 10s," says Relano. "Big clubs are always on the lookout for No. 10s when the order comes from the president to find a player. I remember what Arrigo Sacchi said to Milan's owner Silvio Berlusconi: 'You always want to sign No. 10s.' It's because they're the kinds of players who catch the eye."

Phil Kitromilides, who works as a presenter for Real Madrid TV, makes the point that No. 10 is not a position the club has traditionally lined up with in recent times, with the exception of a long spell Isco had in the team in 2017. Invariably, Real Madrid goes with a 4-3-3 lineup, with the most notable including the fabled "BBC" trident of Gareth Bale, Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo.

"Isco, James, even Bale would quite like to play there sometimes, but it's not a position that has necessarily existed at Real Madrid for a number of years, going back to even Mesut Ozil, who had to play out wide rather than in a more central, No 10 role," says Kitromilides. "Odegaard would have to adapt, but when players are good enough, they can adapt."

There are also question marks about Dani Ceballos, 23, another highly valued Real Madrid player out on loan. He's featured in all eight of Arsenal's English Premier League games since moving to London during the summer as well as starting both of Spain's UEFA Euro 2020 qualifiers during the international break, but Zidane doesn't rate him. 

During the summer, Zidane was keen to sell Ceballos to help fund the purchase of Paul Pogba, according to Relano, but the club insisted on holding on to him, so they farmed him out on loan—even though his departure has left Zidane with only four pure midfielders in his squad. 

"Zidane has no faith in Ceballos," says Oscar Sanz, a journalist with El Pais. "It's very simple—Ceballos is a very similar player to Isco, but Zidane prefers Isco. Ceballos has more capacity to defend than Isco. It would be useful for Real Madrid to have him in the squad now, but if the club were to buy Christian Eriksen in the winter or, say, Donny van de Beek in the summer, it'll be very difficult for Ceballos to return to Real Madrid, especially if Zidane continues."

Real Madrid's discarding for the season of Sergio Reguilon—who has been called up to the Spain national team squad because of his excellent form on loan at Sevilla—appears short-sighted. Instead, the club's decision to spend the guts of €50 million on Ferland Mendy as a back-up full-back to Marcelo—in what Relano describes as Zidane's "whim"—looks like a needless extravagance.

Sanz reckons that Reguilon—who displaced Marcelo successfully for a couple of months last season in Real Madrid's starting XI—falls between two stools in Zidane's eyes: he is neither as good an attacker as Marcelo, nor as good a defender as Mendy.

One young player that Zidane does have faith in is Achraf Hakimi, or Achraf as he's known in Spain. Zidane gave Achraf his UEFA Champions League debut against Tottenham Hotspur in October 2017 as an 18-year-old. Their connection goes back a long way—Achraf joined Real Madrid's youth academy in 2006, the same year as Zidane's son, Luka, who became a friend.

Achraf has been tearing it up on loan at Borussia Dortmund for the last couple of seasons. Already this campaign, he has racked up four goals in nine Bundesliga and UEFA Champions League games for the club.

Sanz believes Achraf has the most promising future of all of Real Madrid's players out on loan. He draws a comparison with the young Moroccan international player's journey and that of Dani Carvajal, who he might well replace in the medium term on the right-hand side of Real Madrid's defence.

"The most important example of a loaned Real Madrid player in recent times is Carvajal," says Sanz. "When Jose Mourinho was manager, he didn't like the cut of him, so Carvajal went to Germany, and he was the best full-back in the Bundesliga.

"Carvajal returned to Real Madrid having developed into an extraordinary footballer. Achraf, too, has developed into one of the best full-backs in European football. Real Madrid trusts in the development of these kinds of players."

Sure, the system is not always successful. Relano cites the case of Andriy Lunin, who helped Ukraine to win the FIFA U-20 World Cup in the summer. His career is in drift mode—he only made a handful of appearances last season on loan at Leganes; this season, he has yet to feature for Real Valladolid. But Real Madrid is better at the practice of loaning out players than rivals Barcelona.

"Barca is a rigid school," says Relano. "They have been playing in their very particular way, so in the same way it has been very hard, for example, to fit a player like Zlatan Ibrahimovic into its team at Barcelona. It also discovers that it is difficult to fit its academy players into other clubs when they are loaned."

The quality of players Real Madrid has on loan—which also includes the exciting 18-year-old Takefusa Kubo, on loan at Real Mallorca; Jesus Vallejo at Wolves; and Oscar at Leganes—will provide the club with healthy in-house, production-line options for the next couple of seasons. The combined estimated market value of Ceballos, Odegaard, Reguilon and Achraf alone, according to the German portal Transfermarkt, is more than the salary budgets for this season of 15 La Liga clubs.

"Real Madrid can only select 25 in its first-team squad," says Kitromilides. "If it wants to have lots of good players, not all of them can be in its first-team squad at any one time. Real Madrid will always have young players coming up through its academy, so it sends them off on a one- or two-year loan, a sort of finishing school, to see whether or not they're good enough to break into the first team. We've seen this successfully done with Lucas Vazquez, Asensio, Carvajal. It's the logical conclusion—if you want to have all the best players."

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Luka Modric has labelled Gareth Bale "an amazing player" and said he hopes the Welshman stays at Real Madrid for the next few seasons. 

In last summer's transfer window there were ongoing rumours Bale would leave the Santiago Bernabeu, and manager Zinedine Zidane confirmed the Spanish giants were trying to move him on:

Zinedine Zidane confirms Real Madrid are looking to sell Gareth Bale. pic.twitter.com/ZnTR3Q3RTm

— B/R Football (@brfootball) July 21, 2019

In July, a transfer for the winger to Chinese Super League side Jiangsu Suning on a three-year deal looked all but sealed, until the Real board pulled the plug.

In 2019-20, Zidane has attempted to reintegrate Bale back into the first team, and the 30-year-old has played in six of Real's eight La Liga games, netting two goals and providing two assists.

Modric and Bale faced each other in Sunday's 1-1 UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying clash in Cardiff.

After the match, the Real midfielder said he hopes his club team-mate stays put at the Bernabeu having reestablished his spot in the first team, per Chris Burton of Goal: 

"He is an amazing player and very important for the team. He is showing that this season. Hopefully he will stay this season and the next seasons as well."

After the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus in the summer of 2018, last season should have been Bale's opportunity to step into the role of Real's star player.

Instead, Real endured a difficult season. Bale suffered numerous injury issues, and when he was fit, he underwhelmed.

Eventually, Zidane returned to the manager's role in Madrid after the exits of Julen Lopetegui and Santiago Solari, and Bale was dropped to the bench.

At the end of 2018-19, it was widely expected Bale had played his last game for the club, and there were plenty who questioned the way he was treated last term given his incredible record for Real:

Gareth Bale will be leaving Real Madrid having won it all 🏆 pic.twitter.com/F1989GrtCX

— B/R Football (@brfootball) July 21, 2019

Said this before (and, yes, there’s more to it than this) but there’s something absurd about the way the key accusations against Bale are framed: essentially accused of going to bed early, not being good at Spanish and playing golf. Hardly the most heinous crimes.

— Sid Lowe (@sidlowe) July 21, 2019

Must have missed something because as far as I can see Gareth Bale has been a magnificent player for Real Madrid, won them Champions League Finals & year is treated with total disrespect by current coach & unloved by fans. Totally undeserved & lacking in grace.

— Phil McNulty (@philmcnulty) July 21, 2019

He now has a chance to change his reputation, however undeserved, at Real by helping them to win silverware again this season, and Modric is eager to see Bale stay at the club. 

Table-topping Los Blancos are back in La Liga action on Saturday when they visit Mallorca.

Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has said he turned down the chance to lead Real Madrid on a number of occasions.

Wenger has been out of work since the summer of 2018, having left the Gunners following a distinguished 22-year spell in charge.

Although he won the Premier League three times during his tenure at Arsenal—as well as seven FA Cups—Wenger's last top-flight title success came in 2004.

Speaking to beIN Sports (h/t Ben Nagle of the MailOnline) about interest from Madrid, Wenger said he put loyalty before winning at that point in his career:

"Regret is that maybe I sacrificed a little bit the winning potential against the loyalty potential. Or the desire to build up the club and the influence I had on the club. 

"To build up the club when we built the stadium, against the fact that I could have won more by going somewhere else and being less limited financially. At the end of the day, I'm happy to do what I did."

Wenger also wondered whether his management style would be the right type of fit for Real Madrid.

"I felt that I was in a club [Arsenal] where I met my needs the way I wanted to work," he said. "Why change that and maybe be in a bit more glorious situation but less happy situation, where I had less influence on the club [Real Madrid]? So I decided that I keep trying to experience my love story [at Arsenal]."

B/R Football looked at some of the iconic figures who played under Wenger during his time in charge of the north London club:

On this day in 1996, Arsene Wenger managed his first game for Arsenal.

He built a legacy during his 22-year tenure 👏 pic.twitter.com/mdJRXt4OoS

— B/R Football (@brfootball) October 12, 2019

The Premier League Twitter account looked back on the Frenchman's first game in charge of Arsenal in 1996:

Game #1 of 8️⃣2️⃣8️⃣ for Arsene Wenger #OnThisDay in 1996

The rest, as they say, is history... pic.twitter.com/Yi2A8HALkj

— Premier League (@premierleague) October 12, 2019

Considering the Gunners gave Wenger a chance in English football and showed faith in him during some tough times in the 22 years he was in charge, it's not a shock Wenger feels a major sense of affinity towards the club.

Earlier in October, the coach told Sky Sports News he'd actually turned down offers from other Premier League clubs due to the fact he is "too linked" to Arsenal. Real Madrid, it would seem, were snubbed by Wenger earlier in his career, too.

In the past, he's provided more details on why he didn't make the switch the Spanish capital:

Arsene Wenger reflects on why he turned down the Real Madrid job.

More: https://t.co/GFMd4nnZOL pic.twitter.com/gnyGu1DLIG

— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) February 17, 2019

It would have been fascinating to see Wenger at the helm of the Santiago Bernabeu outfit, especially given the club's reputation for spending huge money on the best players in the world.

However, they also have a propensity for chopping and changing managers, meaning Wenger may not have been given the patience he was often afforded at Arsenal.

After some time away from the game, it will be intriguing to see what role Wenger takes up next in football. Even at 69 years old, a man of his intelligence and experience will likely still have plenty to offer at the highest level.  

Former Real Madrid defender Michel Salgado has backed the club's summer signing Luka Jovic to come good after a tough start to life at his new club.

Jovic arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu having earned a reputation as one of the most exciting young forwards in European football. The Serb excelled for Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga and the UEFA Europa League last term.

As of yet, he's not shown his best in the Spanish capital and has yet to score for Los Blancos. Despite this stuttering start in the iconic all-white jersey, Salgado said to Omnisport (h/t Perform, via AS) that Jovic has the quality to be a big hit with Madrid:

"He's a young player. If Real Madrid signed him, is due to something. He has been a great player [for] Eintracht Frankfurt, lot of goals, great attacking quality.

"It is known that Real Madrid needed a 'nine,' a striker. [Karim] Benzema is a different 'nine,' a player that collects, combines over finishing. Jovic must still learn, [he's] a young player and Real Madrid [is] a team with a lot of pressure. He needs time. He has that time, we know he's a great striker, you guys know that here in Germany."

Salgado added that some "space" would benefit the 21-year-old and that "little by little" he would grow into the Real Madrid shirt.

Jovic did come close to scoring his first goal for the club against Osasuna last month, but his strike was ruled out after a VAR review found him to be narrowly offside:

🙈 Luka Jovic thought he had his first goal for Real Madrid, but he's ruled just offside as it's disallowed by VAR! pic.twitter.com/qj9MAUTIEK

— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) September 25, 2019

While it's been a struggle for Jovic so far at Madrid, if he can find the form he showcased last season with Frankfurt, he will be a huge asset to the team in the long-term.

The Serb scored 17 goals in 32 appearances in the German top flight, and Tifo Football broke down the best parts of his game:

At Madrid, he's tussling with Karim Benzema for a starting spot, with manager Zinedine Zidane typically using one centre-forward in the setup.

The Frenchman's form in the early weeks of the season has meant chances have been limited for Jovic. Benzema has continued to excel at the point of the attack, with his ability to link play, create chances and score goals making him a crucial member of the side.

The La Liga Twitter account summed up how prolific Benzema has been after he netted against Granada before the international break:

With 22 goals, @Benzema is now the top scorer in #LaLigaSantander in 2019! 🔥#RealMadridGranada pic.twitter.com/qFgM4q9sh7

— LALIGA English (@LaLigaEN) October 5, 2019

With Madrid's calendar set to get congested in the coming weeks, the chances are Jovic will get more opportunities. Los Blancos have three games in a week when club football resumes, including key away games against Galatasaray and Barcelona.

For Jovic, getting that first goal will be a big moment. Once he does, it should allow him to regain his confidence, and he showed enough at Frankfurt to suggest he can play a big part for Madrid in the remaining months of the campaign.  

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has backed Sergio Ramos to add to his reputation as one of the best defenders of his generation in the final years of his career.

The centre-back made history on Saturday when he became Spain's most capped player in history in the 1-1 draw with Norway. Ramos represented the national team for the 168th time, overtaking the landmark set by former Real Madrid team-mate Iker Casillas.

Speaking about the Los Blancos captain, Perez said he thinks there is still more to come from Ramos, per Marca:

"Beyond just his condition, which we can all see, technically and physically, he has other aspects like his ambition and his leadership which have made him a legend not just for Real Madrid and Spain, but for world football."

"All of these conditions keep going for him like he is just starting out, and I'm convinced the Sergio Ramos legend will continue."

B/R Football looked at some other iconic names Ramos is now alongside after becoming the player to represent his country the most:

Sergio Ramos joins an elite club 🔝 pic.twitter.com/cSUMPSXkiK

— B/R Football (@brfootball) October 13, 2019

🇪🇸 @SergioRamos starts against Norway and surpasses @IkerCasillas as Spain’s most capped player of all time 🙌 pic.twitter.com/8i6QQnbmk9

— B/R Football (@brfootball) October 12, 2019

Casillas sent his congratulations to the defender with the following post on social media:

Enhorabuena @SergioRamos por esos 168 partidos con @SeFutbol!! Te has convertido en el que más internacionales tiene con nuestro equipo nacional!! Que vengan muchos más!! Abrazo crack!! pic.twitter.com/ncrTTuA91C

— Iker Casillas (@IkerCasillas) October 12, 2019

Not only has Ramos been a consistent figure for his country, he was a pillar of strength in one of the most dominant sides the international stage has ever seen.

Between 2008 and 2012, La Roja won the FIFA World Cup and two UEFA European Championship titles. Ramos played in all three finals, operating as a right-back in the 2008 and 2010 successes, before captaining the side to success as a centre-back in 2012.

Ramos is also considered one of the greatest players in the history of Real Madrid, winning the UEFA Champions League on four occasions. The defender scored in two of those finals, most memorably in 2014 against Atletico Madrid in the 93rd minute to send the match into extra time.

Per Copa90, like Perez, Ramos thinks there is still plenty more to come:

Captain @SergioRamos isn’t done yet. 💯💯 pic.twitter.com/xABjed2srF

— COPA90 (@Copa90) October 12, 2019

Last season was a challenging one for the 33-year-old, as Madrid struggled in all competitions. While the team underperformed, Ramos toiled individually, too, as he was rash in his decisions and cost his team some crucial points.

In the current campaign, there have been better signs for the Madrid captain. Although Los Blancos' defence is still not watertight, Ramos has helped the team keep some important clean sheets this season, most notably against Sevilla and Atletico Madrid away from home.

Ramos' influence will be crucial to Real in the coming weeks, as they have a number of vital games on the horizon. After Saturday's showdown with Mallorca, they face Galatasaray in the UEFA Champions League away from home and then visit Barcelona for the first Clasico of the season.   

Gareth Bale and Luka Modric both looked to have picked up knocks during the clash between Wales and Croatia on Sunday, in a potential double injury blow for their club Real Madrid. 

The two nations drew 1-1 in their UEFA 2020 European Championship qualifying clash, with Bale netting for Wales. However, he finished the game in clear discomfort, while Modric was substituted in the final stages.

Wales boss Ryan Giggs provided an update on the condition of the Los Blancos forward following the game, noting Bale had a "bit of cramp," per Goal. With the home side having made all three of their substitutes already, the 30-year-old stayed out on the field, although he contributed little in the final stages due to his lack of mobility.

"He didn't want to come off," continued Giggs. "It was a fantastic performance [by him]. It was a shame he got that for the last 10 minutes, so we were down one player really."

Bale scored on the stroke of half-time for the home side, showcasing excellent close control and composure to finish, per Sky Sports Football:

Huge goal for Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

If there's one man you want in on goal, it's Gareth Bale! Superb footwork and finish.

Watch live now on Sky Sports Football or follow online here: https://t.co/PYhZ2uipEv pic.twitter.com/3JfKH7AYez

— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) October 13, 2019

Modric was also involved in an entertaining game before his withdrawal, and afterwards manager Zlatko Dalic offered an update on his condition, suggesting the issue shouldn't be too serious.

"[Modric] got hit in the muscle, which is awkward and quite painful, so he had to go off," said the Croatia boss. "He will certainly need a two to three-day break, but I hope he will be alright."

As Kiyan Sobhani of Managing Madrid relayed, what initially looked to be a positive international break for Madrid has turned into a concerning one:

Madridistas when the international break starts with Odegaard masterclass, Modric goal, Bale goal, Hazard beauty assists, then ends with injuries to Modric and Bale pic.twitter.com/UY8O4ITuF3

— Kiyan Sobhani (@KiyanSo) October 13, 2019

Although neither player looks set to be on the sidelines for a prolonged spell with these issues, Madrid manger Zinedine Zidane would have been looking on concerned, as his team gear up for a crucial month of fixtures when the domestic calendar resumes.

After Saturday's trip to Real Mallorca in La Liga, they will travel to Galatasaray for a huge UEFA Champions League clash. Madrid have only taken one point from their two fixtures in the group stages so far.

The following weekend will see Madrid visit bitter rivals Barcelona for the first Clasico of the season. It's set to be a crucial one, with Los Blancos, who occupy top spot in the Spanish top flight, just two points ahead of the Blaugrana in second place.

Real Madrid will play their next two fixtures with one eye on their crucial La Liga meeting with Barcelona on October 26.

Los Blancos are unbeaten in La Liga and sit top of the table with 18 points from eight games, but Barca are lurking just two points behind and could overtake them with a win at the Camp Nou.

In contrast to their league results, Real have picked up just one point in the UEFA Champions League, so they'll hope to make gains in two clashes with Galatasaray.

Read on for a look at players to keep an eye on in the coming weeks, but first here is their schedule up to the next international break, including predictions:

Oct. 19: Real Mallorca vs. Real Madrid, La Liga (1-2)

Oct. 22: Galatasaray vs. Real Madrid, Champions League (1-2)

Oct. 26: Barcelona vs. Real Madrid, La Liga (3-1)

Oct. 30: Real Madrid vs. Leganes, La Liga (4-0)

Nov. 2: Real Madrid vs. Real Betis, La Liga (3-1)

Nov. 6: Real Madrid vs. Galatasaray, Champions League (2-0)

Nov. 10: Eibar vs. Real Madrid, La Liga (0-2)

                

Eden Hazard

Eden Hazard has hardly enjoyed a dream start to his career at the Santiago Bernabeu, with a hamstring injury disrupting his pre-season preparations and prompting him to miss the first three matches of the campaign.

The injury has not helped him settle into his new side, and he failed to score or assist in his first five appearances.

He finally got off the mark immediately before the international break with a fine goal and an assist for Luka Modric in a 4-2 win over Granada:

It wasn't easy picking our top 5⃣ goals this weekend, but here they are ⤵

🚲 Suarez
🎯 Messi
🏹 Dybala
🤤 Hazard
🚀 Modric pic.twitter.com/J9BwEA3mgZ

— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) October 8, 2019

The Belgian is hoping to use that performance as a launching point:

🗣 Eden Hazard on scoring his first Real Madrid goal: “It’s always difficult to get that first goal, but once you get it you have greater confidence to shoot and I hope to score lots of goals for this great club.

“It was important for me to score today.” ️⚽️ pic.twitter.com/27nz078dHO

— GOAL (@goal) October 6, 2019

Real have only beaten Barca in La Liga four times since 2008, a run of 22 meetings, so it would be an enormous help for the side if Hazard can be a difference-maker.

                      

Karim Benzema

All eyes were on the likes of Gareth Bale when Cristiano Ronaldo departed last year, but the player to step up most in his absence has been Karim Benzema.

Although the Frenchman can't match Ronaldo's 50-goal-per-season average at Madrid, he enjoyed the most prolific campaign of his Real career last season with 30 in all competitions.

He's picked up where he left off this season:

Karim Benzema this season:

⚽ v Celta
⚽ v Valladolid
➖ v Villarreal
⚽⚽ v Levante
⚽ v Sevilla
➖ v Osasuna
➖ v Atleti
⚽ v Granada

— The Spanish Football Podcast (@tsf_podcast) October 5, 2019

Hazard might be able to share the burden with him now that he's off the mark, while Bale could do with contributing more—he's not scored outside of his brace against Villarreal—but Benzema's emergence as a consistent goalscorer makes him a key player for Los Blancos.

                

Luka Jovic

Bale and Hazard aren't the only players who need to step up their scoring efforts

Luka Jovic arrived from Eintracht Frankfurt in an initial €65 million deal after he bagged 27 goals for the German club last season, but he's struggled to make an impact thus far in Spain:

7️⃣ games
2️⃣1️⃣8️⃣ minutes
0️⃣ goals

What's gone wrong for Luka Jovic? pic.twitter.com/J3n8TjjpCP

— GOAL (@goal) October 12, 2019

Benzema's form has meant the striker has had limited opportunities, but he has also failed to impress in his seven appearances.

Jovic is only 21, and a slow adaptation to new surroundings is natural, but the longer the wait for his first goal in Madrid colours, the more pressure he'll be under.

Benzema will be 32 in December and soon won't be able to play every game, so Jovic needs to show he can be a viable alternative.

Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has denied reports suggesting he's been suffering from anxiety, saying he's "very happy" at the club. 

Courtois, 27, also called upon the media to recognise their responsibility in not circulating unverified rumours. Speculation over the Belgian's mental health arose following his half-time substitution when Real trailed Club Brugge 2-0 at home in a recent UEFA Champions League clash (they went on to draw 2-2).

The stopper spoke to reporters after Belgium demolished San Marino 9-0 in UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying on Thursday and said:

"I know what it means to be an elite player. I'm very happy, and I don't have anxiety problems. 

"Responsibility from the media is required to not publish lies any nonsense about things like that because at the end of the day, there are people who really suffer from those problems. I think it's disrespectful to the player and to the people who are really suffering.

"I am happy and training hard and want to give the Real Madrid fans joy. The people at the Santiago Bernabeu are always a critical audience, we (Real Madrid players) know that, and we will do everything so that they break out in applause."

Real released a statement (h/t ESPN FC) dismissing reports of Courtois' alleged anxiety and explained the player was taken off against Brugge after suffering with acute gastroenteritis.

He played the full 90 minutes on Thursday and didn't have to make a save, per Flashscore.com, as Belgium became the first team to secure their spot at Euro 2020:

What a team win! Glad we treated our fans to a great night that secured our qualification for the #EURO2020. 🇧🇪🔒 #COMEONBELGIUM pic.twitter.com/zWCUYdRjIS

— Thibaut Courtois (@thibautcourtois) October 11, 2019

It's true that the Bernabeu can be a cauldron of pressure, particularly for a goalkeeper, a position that can be made to feel especially lonely if out of form.

Courtois has kept two clean sheets in eight games across all competitions this season, each of which came in his last two league appearances—a 1-0 win away to Sevilla and a 0-0 draw at Atletico Madrid.

There are other variables to consider; summer arrivals Eder Militao and Ferland Mendy are both settling into a new defence, while 31-year-old Marcelo looks to have experienced a downturn in form this year.

Reserve goalkeeper Alphonse Areola—on loan from Paris Saint-Germain—has kept one clean sheet in two 90-minute displays.

The Spanish Football Podcast suggested Zinedine Zidane may have a goalkeeping dilemma on his hands when both options are available:

Areola has looked very assured in goal for Real Madrid so far. It'll be interesting to see if Courtois walks straight back into the team...

— The Spanish Football Podcast (@tsf_podcast) October 5, 2019

Former Chelsea star Courtois remains confident in his own ability to regain his best form, though he'll have to produce results soon to keep hold of the No. 1 spot in Madrid.

Arsene Wenger is not convinced Eden Hazard can replace Cristiano Ronaldo as Real Madrid's chief goalscorer but has backed him to succeed in the Spanish capital. 

Hazard joined from Chelsea in the summer and has scored once for Los Blancos in six matches.

"He will be the answer but not in replacing Ronaldo that is for sure," Wenger told beIN Sports (h/t MailOnline's Will Griffee). "They need another goalscorer in Real Madrid because Benzema is now 32, and if they had someone younger around him to score the goals, maybe they could do very well."

The winger struggled to make an impact in his first five appearances for Real, but in his last outing he bagged his first goal and assist in a 4-2 win over Granada.

He netted a sublime chip and later teed up Luka Modric for the Croatian's long-range stunner:

It wasn't easy picking our top 5⃣ goals this weekend, but here they are ⤵

🚲 Suarez
🎯 Messi
🏹 Dybala
🤤 Hazard
🚀 Modric pic.twitter.com/J9BwEA3mgZ

— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) October 8, 2019

The 28-year-old is hoping to contribute more goals:

🗣 Eden Hazard on scoring his first Real Madrid goal: “It’s always difficult to get that first goal, but once you get it you have greater confidence to shoot and I hope to score lots of goals for this great club.

“It was important for me to score today.” ️⚽️ pic.twitter.com/27nz078dHO

— GOAL (@goal) October 6, 2019

Despite Hazard's efforts against Granada, Covering Futbol suggested he's still not at his best:

Isco on for Hazard - who apart from scoring a galactico-level goal, and laying on Modric's screamer, looked kinda out of sorts... [ahem].

— Covering Futbol (@coveringfutbol) October 5, 2019

Hazard missed much of pre-season and the first three games of the campaign with a hamstring injury, and Wenger shared the opinion that the Belgian is not yet firing on all cylinders:

"Eden Hazard is an exceptional player to create chances to sometimes finish when he needs to do in big games. 

"He's not scared of anybody—I don't think Real have yet to see the real Hazard. He's not as sharp physically as he can be."

Hazard will be an enormous asset to the Spanish giants when he does get up and running—he showed time and again that he can be a match-winner at Chelsea.

However, in terms of sheer numbers he's not the man to replace Ronaldo.

The Portugal star averaged 50 goals per season over the course of nine campaigns with Real. Hazard only surpassed 20 goals in a campaign once with Chelsea, when he netted 21 in all competitions last season.

It seems Real recognised the need to bring in a goalscorer alongside Hazard as they also signed Luka Jovic in the summer after he netted 27 goals for Eintracht Frankfurt last season.

However, the 21-year-old has spent just 218 minutes on the pitch under manager Zinedine Zidane.

Jovic is young and still has time to become a success in the Spanish capital, but in the meantime it appears Hazard cannot do it on his own.