Real Madrid were disappointed as a 0-0 draw by Cadiz at the Bernabeu on Sunday saw their lead at the top of LaLiga cut to six points.
Madrid pushed for a breakthrough after a tight first half with no clear chances followed by a more open second period. Eden Hazard and Vinicius Junior both saw save attempts by Cadiz keeper Jeremias Ledesma as the leader failed to collect all three points for the first time since October.
Real Madrid went into the game after seven players went missing after Luka Modric, Marcelo, Marco Asensio, Rodrigo, Gareth Bale and Andrey Lunin tested positive for COVID-19 and Dani Carvajal remained absent due to injury.
It means a first league debut for Hazard in more than three months, against a Cadiz side that won their final visit to the Bernabeu in October 2020. The opening 45 minutes saw Madrid take control, but struggled to break a deep lie. -Organized Cadiz Defense.
They were restricted to taking shots from afar, with Fede Valverde, Toni Kroos and Ferland Mendy all firing on the bar, before Valverde's stinging shot was removed by Ledesma.
Casemiro was lucky to survive a freak challenge on Iván Alejo with just a yellow card - he will now miss Madrid's midweek game at Athletic Bilbao through suspension - while Lucas Vazquez and Cross both hit goals before halftime. Send optimistic shots.
Madrid picked up the pace after the break. Kroos saw Hazard's clever run into space, but the Belgian header was saved, while Casemiro curled wide and Vinicius was also denied by Ledesma.
The Brazilian winger was finding more space on the left, while Hazard looked to grow in confidence, but Madrid were almost penalized at the break when Cadiz substitute Alvaro Negredo fired a wide shot.
A free kick was saved by Karim Benzema, and Cadiz continued to threaten on the counter, as Madrid had to settle for a point.
"We tried from the first minute to the last. We lacked some quality in the last 30 meters but nothing to criticize, it can be games, there are a lot of positive things, the only thing that is not positive That's three points," Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti said.
Regarding Belgian forward Hazard, Ancelotti said he expects to see more as the campaign enters the second leg.
"It was tough for him to get into the game in the first half. He did better in the second half. It's difficult for him to play from outside to the right, he's not used to it, from inside he played better with Karim. By the second half of the season The threat could be another weapon," Ancelotti said.