Muzaffar Musa
Sun Jan 24 2021

Karim Benzema menggesa Eden Hazard "mencipta satu lagi kisah" di Real Madrid selepas bintang Belgium itu mencuri tumpuan ketika menewaskan Deportivo Alaves awal pagi tadi.
Hazard menjaringkan satu gol dan membantu satu daripada dua jaringan Benzema untuk Madrid memperoleh kemenangan 4-1 ke atas pasukan di kelompok bawahan LaLiga, Alaves, bagi mengurangkan tekanan terhadap ketua jurulatih mereka, Zinedine Zidane, yang tidak dapat menyertai perlawanan itu berikutan positif COVID-19.
Madrid tewas dua perlawanan sebelumnya, iaitu kepada Athletic Bilbao dalam Supercopa de Espana sebelum dikejutkan Alcoyano dalam Copa del Rey, Rabu lalu.
Casemiro membuka jaringan sebelum Benzema menghasilkan dua gol yang mengapit jaringan Hazard -- gol ketiganya dalam kesemua kejohanan musim ini.
Hazard menyertai Madrid daripada Chelsea pada 2019 dan bergelut untuk mendapatkan prestasi terbaiknya gara-gara kecederaan tetapi dia seperti sudah kembali mendapatkan sentuhannya ketika berdepan Alaves.
Pemain berusia 30 tahun itu menghasilkan jaringan dan bantuan buat kali kedua sepanjang menyarung jersi Madrid manaka Benzema (empat) melakukan lebih banyak percubaan berbanding Hazard (dua) dalam perlawanan itu.
Dengan Hazard telah memberikan petanda kepulangannya, Benzema, yang menjaringkan 10 gol dalam saingan liga musim ini, mahu rakan sepasukannya itu meneruskannya dan mencipta nama di bandar Sepanyol berkenaan.
"Anda sentiasa dapat lihat ramai pemain dalam pasukan ini, saya sentiasa mahu membantu rakan sepasukan saya," kata Benzema kepada Movistar.
"Saya fikir Hazard merupakan pemain yang hebat sewaktu di Chelsea dan dia kini perlu mencipta satu lagi kisah di Madrid. Dia nampak baik, jauh lebih baik. Dia berusaha dan telah bermain dengan baik. Kami memerlukan prestasi terbaik Hazard," katanya.
Madrid buat seketika mengecilkan jurang dengan pendahulu LaLiga, Aletico Madrid, yang akan bertemu Valencia awal pagi esok.
Skuad Los Blancos itu hanya ketinggalan empat mata di belakang seteru setempat itu tetapi berkelebihan enam mata di depan Barcelona, yang turut akan beraksi malam ini.

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