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Eden Hazard scored a goal and prepared another when Real Madrid thrashed Alavés 4-1 on Saturday to ease the pressure on their coach Zinedine Zidane, who was absent after testing positive for Covid-19.
Zidane’s position has come under scrutiny again after Wednesday’s defeat against third-division Alcoyano in the Copa del Rey, but Madrid responded in Mendizorroza without his coach, nor his captain Sergio Ramos, who was out with an injury on your knees.
Goals from Casemiro, Karim Benzema and Hazard put Madrid up three at halftime and while Alavés briefly threatened a comeback when Joselu headed in, Benzema added a second to put the result beyond doubt.
The victory is only the second for Real Madrid in six games and leaves it four points behind Atlético de Madrid, which has two games in hand and plays at home against Valencia on Sunday.
“Goals are good for confidence, for everyone,” Benzema said. “It has been a difficult week for us because we always have to win, we always have to be up. There is always pressure. Today was good, not only for me, for everyone.”
Zidane was confirmed to have tested positive on Friday, leaving his assistant David Bettoni in charge on the bench, although Bettoni was photographed by phone in the second half.
“He was very happy with the attitude of the team,” Bettoni said when asked what Zidane had said to him after the match. “He told me to congratulate the players, as he would have if he were with us.”
Bettoni took off Hazard as Alavés were gaining confidence early in the second period, but the Belgian enjoyed an overall positive outing that Zidane hopes is the start of a renaissance.
The 29-year-old has had a nightmare year and a half in Spain, this being only his third goal in La Liga and his first in the league away from home since arriving from Chelsea for 100 million euros.
“We have to have more patience, it is true that at Real Madrid patience is difficult,” said Bettoni. “I think the best version of Hazard has been seen a little today and that in each game we will see him a little more.”
Benzema was the main beneficiary, as Madrid forgot their recent problems in attack.
There were also strong performances from Toni Kroos, Casemiro and Luka Modric in midfield, the latter providing a handful of supreme passes, one of which led to Benzema’s second and Madrid’s fourth.
Madrid’s first half was probably the best of the season, spurred on by an early goal from Casemiro to boost confidence as the Brazilian headed a Kroos corner kick inside the post.
Hazard missed an opportunity, but was involved in the second when he tried to throw a Lucas Vázquez pass to Benzema, but it was enough, with Benzema given room to shoot into the upper left corner.
Hazard did it three four minutes later. Kroos looked up and when Alavés pushed out, Hazard appeared behind, the ball spun for him to control and finish off Fernando Pachecho.
Alavés pushed hard after the break and was hopeful when Joselu headed in from a Lucas Pérez free kick. The comeback was short-lived, however, as Benzema ran for another curved Modric pass to the left, ducked inside and hit the far corner.
Earlier, Youssef En-Nesyri scored his second hat-trick in four games when Sevilla dispatched Cádiz 3-0 to move to third place.
The Moroccan forward’s hat-trick places him at the height of Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez at the top of the league’s scoring table with 11 goals and has scored seven for himself in the last four games.
Cádiz, meanwhile, slides to ninth place, below Real Betis, which came back to save a 2-2 draw against Real Sociedad by scoring two goals in the last five minutes.
Real Sociedad drop to sixth place, three points behind Barça, fourth. Betis go up to the second round.
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