Three-Star Bayern Munich Ruin Eden Hazard's Real Madrid Debut
21st July 2019
Despite getting a starting nod he made little impact at the NRG Stadium -- home of the NFL's Houston Texans, where the European giants produced plenty of lively end-to-end action from the kickoff
- Bayern Munich spoiled Eden Hazard's Real Madrid debut, downing the Spanish giants 3-1 in a friendly in Houston Saturday despite goalkeeper Sven Ulreich's sending off
- Corentin Tolisso, Robert Lewandowski and Serge Gnabry had given Bundesliga champions Bayern a comfortable 3-0 lead before recent Real Madrid signing Rodrygo grabbed a consolation goal with a brilliant free kick
- Rodrygo, Luka Jovic and Ferland Mendy all made their debuts for rebuilding Real Madrid -- all coming on at halftime as Zinedine Zidane changed his entire side
LOS ANGELES, United States- Bayern Munich spoiled Eden Hazard's Real Madrid debut, downing the
Spanish giants 3-1 in a friendly in Houston Saturday despite goalkeeper Sven
Ulreich's sending off.
Corentin Tolisso,
Robert Lewandowski and Serge Gnabry had given Bundesliga champions Bayern a comfortable
3-0 lead before recent Real Madrid signing Rodrygo grabbed a consolation goal
with a brilliant free kick.
That followed
Ulreich's departure in the 81st for a foul on Brazilian teen Rodrygo outside
the area.
Rodrygo, Luka Jovic
and Ferland Mendy all made their debuts for rebuilding Real Madrid -- all
coming on at halftime as Zinedine Zidane changed his entire side.
Hazard's first
outing in a Madrid jersey since his high-priced move from Chelsea had dominated
the headlines.
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But despite getting
a starting nod he made little impact at the NRG Stadium -- home of the NFL's
Houston Texans, where the European giants produced plenty of lively end-to-end
action from the kickoff.
It needed a stellar
display from Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer to keep Real Madrid at bay.
Bayern led at the
interval thanks to Tolisso's 15th-minute strike.
Thomas Muller freed
Kingsley Coman whose cross made it to Tolisso -- who was denied by Real Madrid
keeper Thibaut Courtois on his first attempt but slotted home the rebound.
Down a goal with
halftime approaching Real Madrid poured it on.
Karim Benzema let a
golden chance go begging in the 43rd, meeting a cross from Isco but knocking
his effort wide.
Neuer came up with
another impressive save in the 45th, diving to his right to grab Luka Modric's
effort from 10 yards out of the air.
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Courtois fended off
a blast from Coman in first-half injury time to keep Bayern from stretching
their advantage before the break.
While Real Madrid
applied plenty of pressure, Hazard was circumspect, often opting to pass off to
his new teammates.
The closest the
28-year old Belgian came to his first Real Madrid goal was in the 39th minute,
when he found space on the left and bent a shot toward the far post only for
Neuer to punch it away.
Zidane's wholesale
changes at the interval did nothing to further Real Madrid's cause, even though
they controlled possession early in the second half.
Lewandowski doubled
Bayern's lead in the 67th controlling a high ball from Niklas Sule, turning and
firing into the bottom corner.
Two minutes later
Madrid gave the ball away deep in their own end and an unmarked Gnabry was able
to control the ball and fire past Keylor Navas in goal.