One of the things that always stood out watching Eden Hazard play for Chelsea was the way the game sounded a bit different when he had the ball. The press seats at Stamford Bridge are low down and right behind the managers’ dugout, a kind of clanky metal pillbox crammed with swivelling press-box heads.
From there you can hear most things that happen on the pitch quite clearly, from the clicks and clacks of the ball being passed and trapped; to the familiar deep thunk of David Luiz attempting one of his full-body tackles, those moments where he simply runs right through his man without seeming to realise what he’s doing, like a large, game friendly dog on YouTube confused by the existence of double-glazed patio doors.
Beauty will not be enough at Real Madrid. The scrutiny will be thorough and disorientating
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