LW Eden Hazard
The bar has been set so low for Eden Hazard that his supporters will cheer when he completes a few dribbles or draws a few fouls. Guess what? When you wear the jersey of Raul and Cristiano Ronaldo, that’s not good enough. And it is an insult to both Hazard’s true ability and to the Real Madrid shirt when you set the standard this low. The left wing position at this club is the most glamorous in world football. It is not for the faint of heart, nor is it to be disrespected by agenda-driven fans who live and die by statistics they only misuse.
Hazard played with no passion, no urgency. A game he should have dominated against an opponent literally leagues beneath him was spent wandering around the pitch. Hazard showed no character or spirit, and it is concerning to see how little confidence he has in himself. Someone needs to give him a kick in the ass or take a softer approach and give him a qualified professional who can help him regain his confidence. I prefer the second approach, and it is a matter of saving what is left of his career – a career that will be spent beyond Madrid in 2022-23.
Rating: 4.0
ST Mariano Diaz
I don’t even want to bother giving Mariano Diaz a rating. Half the time, I have no idea what he is trying to do, because he makes runs and attempts shots that no other professional would. If you look at his stat sheet, you will get an accurate representation of how he played. Without a clue in the world. He’s a hard-working player and he is not a fool, but sometimes he plays as if he is on a different pitch from his teammates. Or even a different sport entirely. But here’s the thing. Unlike some of his teammates, at least he tried.
Rating: 4.0
RW Rodrygo Goes
Rodrygo Goes was the best of the starting three, bouncing back from his own shocker against Getafe. Eden Hazard started in his preferred position, yet it was Rodrygo who looked more dangerous and lively. He was the only forward who seemed likely to take on Alcoyano’s defenders and win, so without him, Real Madrid could have had a truly long day against the upstarts.
RW Marco Asensio
Clutch again. We criticize Marco Asensio a lot for his lack of consistency, but the man is consistent at one thing. When he gets his number called off the bench, especially against a beatable opponent, he delivers. Asensio had the help of a deflection, but the important thing is that he was in the right place and didn’t screw up the finish. Literally, that’s all he needed, and it was evidently something too much for the likes of Hazard and Mariano.
Rating: 7.0