Eden Hazard backed to 'write a new history at Real Madrid' after star turn in La Liga win over Alaves

Belgian forward, making only fifth start of the season, scored one and assisted another in 4-1 victory

Eden Hazard celebrates with Marco Asensio after scoring Real Madrid's third goal against Alaves on January 23. Reuters

Eden Hazard scores Real Madrid's third goal against Alaves at Mendizorroza stadium. AP

Eden Hazard starts to celebrate after scoring Real Madrid's third goal. Reuters

Real Madrid players celebrate with Eden Hazard after he scored the team's third goal.AP Photo

Real Madrid players celebrate with Eden Hazard after he scored the team's third goal. AFP

Eden Hazard skips a challenge frrom Florian Lejeune of Deportivo Alaves. Getty Images

Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior in action with Deportivo Alaves' Edgar Mendez. Reuters

Karim Benzema celebrates after scoring Real Madrid's fourth goal. AP Photo

Karim Benzema celebrates after scoring Real Madrid's fourth goal. AFP

Karim Benzema celebrates with Luka Modric and Casemiro after scoring Real Madrid's fourth goal. Getty Images

Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois makes a save from Alaves strikr Joselu. Getty Images

Joselu celebrates scoring Alaves' first goal against Real Madrid. Reuters

Eden Hazard has been backed to "write a new history at Real Madrid" after the Belgian forward starred in Saturday's 4-1 La Liga win at Alaves.

Hazard, 30, has struggled for form and fitness since his €100 million ($122m) move from Chelsea in the summer of 2019. Making only his fifth start of the campaign after three spells out with injuries or illness, Hazard scored Madrid's third goal before halftime, expertly controlling a Toni Kroos pass before producing a confident finish.

He also dovetailed well with Karim Benzema, laying on a subtle backheel pass to the Frenchman for the visitors' second goal.

Hazard was taken off midway through the second half, indicating he is yet to return to full fitness after a first season blighted by two serious ankle injuries and a stop-start second campaign.

The Belgian still has a lot to do to justify his big-money move to Real and rediscover the form he showed with Chelsea, but Benzema believes he is on the right path.

"At Chelsea he was a certain type of player and now he has to write a new history at Real Madrid," said Benzema.

"I think he is doing well, he's so much better than before, he is working hard and he had a superb game today. We need to see the best version of Hazard."

Real assistant coach David Bettoni, who took charge of the team as Zinedine Zidane is off work with Covid-19, said Hazard would be lifted by the display, emphasising that even a player of his quality needs confidence to thrive.

"He's a very creative player, he's spontaneous and he needs confidence to take on opponents. He's had a lot of injuries and he needs everyone to have a little patience in him, even though there's very little patience in football," he said.

"He has so much talent and little by little he'll return to his best, and we really need him to do that."