Hazard: "I'm looking forward to playing against Diego Costa"
The Real Madrid player is preparing to face his old teammate in the capital city derby against an Atlético side he has not scored against in four attempts.
Real Madrid attacking midfielder Eden Hazard is getting geared up for his first Madrid derby as Real Madrid prepare to travel to Atlético on Saturday evening and of particular interest to the Belgium international is Diego Costa, who shared the Stamford Bridge dressing room with Hazard at Chelsea.
“I’m looking forward to playing against Costa. We played together and he’s my friend,” Hazard said during a promotional event, adding that his aim in the derby is to “score, win and make the fans happy.”
Hazard: "You understand the passion these games stir up"
“When you play football you understand the feelings and passion these types of game stir up, especially when it’s two teams from the same city,” the Belgian said ahead of his first game against Atlético as a Madrid player, although he has faced Diego Simeone’s side before in the Chelsea blue across the Champions League and UEFA Super Cup, with a record of one win, one draw and two losses on his score card. However, Hazard has yet to find the net against Saturday’s opposition.
Hazard finally made his official debut for Madrid against Levante in the Bernabéu, coming off the bench in a 3-2 victory after recovering from a hamstring and was handed his first start in the 1-0 victory over Sevilla in the Sánchez Pizjuán. Rested against Osasuna at the weekend, Hazard is certain to start against Atlético at the weekend.