Real Madrid News
Courtois talks Hazard, Benzema, Celtic Park atmosphere after Real Madrid win 3-0 in UCL
Real Madrid kickstarted the defence of their UEFA Champions League crown in a perfect manner as they defeated Scottish champions Celtic 3-0 at Parkhead in a Group F encounter.
After a tight first half when the hosts put up a solid fight, Real Madrid turned it up a notch after the break as goals from Vinicius Junior, Luka Modric and Eden Hazard ensured that Carlo Ancelotti’s side picked up all three points on Tuesday night.
The only disappointment on the night for Los Blancos was the injury to club captain and main striker Karim Benzema, who had to be taken off just half an hour into the game.
Speaking about the same after the game, goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois said: “We don’t know anything about Benzema’s injury. After one corner, I passed the ball to him and he was struggling with his knee.
“Benzema never takes risks with injuries. If he feels uncomfortable, he asks to get subbed off immediately. We hope the injury is nothing serious.”
The Belgian international was also full of praise for his compatriot Eden Hazard, who took his chance after replacing Benzema and capped off a fine display with a goal.
“Hazard showed that he can be relied on and deserves to play,” Courtois said. “Hazard is a very important player to us. After his penalty miss vs Celta, he did not play very much but he changed the game vs Celtic and had a fantastic performance.”
Talking about the team’s performance on the night, Courtois added: “The first half was tough going, they made a very strong start and there was an amazing atmosphere inside here.
“Within the first couple of minutes, they’d already had two corners, a shot that Militão or the post got in the way of to save us.”
On the turnaround after half-time, he said: “We then began to find our tempo and worked out how best to handle them and we improved as the minutes ticked by. We dominated things in the second half. It was a deserved win. Had they scored early on, it would have been more of a struggle for us.”
Courtois was also full of praise for the atmosphere created by the home fans at Celtic Park on the night, as he said: “It’s a stadium I love coming to. On Matchday 1 of the Champions League, it’s been a fantastic atmosphere, always positive and getting behind their team. They applauded us as well.
“That’s the beauty of football. It’s a pleasure to have played here and to be coming away with the win.”
Source: Real Madrid official website
In what will come as a pleasing development for fans, Fabrizio Romano reports that Real Madrid forward Rodrygo could make a comeback from his injury earlier than expected.
The 25-year-old Brazilian international has been out of action since March after suffering an ACL injury during a La Liga game against Getafe.
Due to the complete rupture of the ACL, coupled with associated meniscus damage, it was suggested that the attacker was staring at a lengthy time out on the sidelines and might not return until 2027.
In fact, the forward’s father, Eric Goes, recently stated in an interview that the Real Madrid ace could be back in February next year, just before the business end of the campaign.
Rodrygo could be back in December
However, as per the update from Romano, Rodrygo’s comeback could happen well before that expected date.
Indeed, if things continue to progress at the current rate, the 25-year-old attacker might return to action in December or by January 2027 at the latest.
This will come as a welcome boost for Jose Mourinho & co., considering that Rodrygo is a valuable player for the team.
Even though he had endured a tough spell prior to his form, the Brazilian’s versatility, work rate off the ball, and eye for a goal make him an asset.
Rodrygo eager to be back at his best
The update from Romano further states that Rodrygo feels very grateful to Real Madrid for all the help and support they have given him during this difficult phase of his career.
As such, the Brazilian international has made it a mission to return to action in the best shape possible and make an impact from the get-go.
The attacker has only recently begun working on the pitch with the ball indicating the significant progress he has made on the road to recovery.
And, if there are no setbacks, Real Madrid could recover one of their ace attackers before the end of the current year.
So far in his career, Rodrygo has made 297 appearances for Real Madrid, scoring 71 goals. He has a contract with the club until 2028.
David Russell
September 7, 2022 at 3:46 pm
In Elite European games Chances Must be taken,when playing thee Best Team on the Planet.
Celtic had two good chances in 1st half, but alas, it wasn’t to be. Kudos to Real for their 2nd half performance.
Celtic will bounce back. These young players can/will improve.hh🍀
Scott Brown
September 7, 2022 at 6:06 pm
Well said keeper what a 1st half performance by celtic ,but when modric came on to his game real were outstanding, just wish callam the captains shot hit the post I was gutted aweel real deserved it in the end up,HH YNWA
Tommy Kennedy
September 8, 2022 at 8:51 am
It was a joy to be at CELTIC PARK and welcome REAL MADRID and we competed well until we tired and the SUPERSTARS picked us off but it was still a pleasure.