Red Bull Salzburg vs Real Madrid 0-1 | Goals & Highlights 2019 | Eden Hazard Scores #Salzburg #Realmadrid #Spain A spectacular strike from Eden Hazard gave Real Madrid a 1-0 win over Red Bull Salzburg in a hard-fought friendly in Austria on Wednesday.

Hazard has been criticised for his indifferent displays in pre-season and for returning to training in poor shape, but the Belgian looked sharp throughout this match.

The former Chelsea forward cut inside from the left and curled into the corner after 19 minutes to open the scoring and seal victory with his first goal since moving from Chelsea earlier this summer.

Hazard came close to another later in the first half after he was set up by Karim Benzema and beat the last defender with a wonderful piece of skill, only to see his shot well saved by Cican Stankovic.

Madrid lost their way somewhat in the second half as Casemiro went off, the defensive midfielder completing his first 45 minutes of pre-season since returning late from Copa America duty.

His inclusion gave Zinedine Zidane’s side more steel in midfield and helped a defence that had shipped 16 goals in five pre-season games prior to this one.

At the back, Eder Militao made his Madrid debut in a three-man defence alongside Raphael Varane and Sergio Ramos, and the system worked well.

Nacho replaced Militao at the break and Real were on the back foot as the home side made nine changes at the interval.

Takumi Minamino missed a glorious chance for Salzburg in the first half as he fired wide at the far post when left all alone and Patson Daka lobbed just over in the second period.

But there were further chances for Madrid too. Substitute Luka Jovic was denied late on and Benzema twice came close earlier in the game.

Real were good for their win in the end and kept a first clean sheet of pre-season. Zidane’s side will face Roma on Sunday in their last preparation game ahead of the new season, which starts in Spain the following weekend.

Gareth Bale, James Rodriguez Left out of Real Madrid Squad for Salzburg Friendly.

Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez have both been left out of Real Madrid's squad for their upcoming friendly against Red Bull Salzburg amid continued speculation regarding their futures.

The team for the match on Wednesday in Austria was confirmed by the Los Blancos Twitter account. Manager Zinedine Zidane has opted not to include either Bale or James while they continue to be linked with moves away from the club.

Bale appeared set to be on the move to Chinese Super League side Jiangsu Suning before it was reported that Madrid stopped the transfer going ahead.

According to John Percy of the Daily Telegraph, the plug was pulled on the transfer as Los Blancos wanted a fee for the forward, who had previously agreed terms on a contract that would have seen him earn a weekly wage of £1 million.

James is also out of favour under Zidane. In his first spell in charge of Madrid, the manager sanctioned the two-year loan of the Colombian to Bayern Munich in the summer of 2017, although the German giants opted against making the transfer permanent.

The playmaker has returned to the Spanish capital this summer as a result and has been linked with a departure throughout the window. Napoli, Atletico Madrid and Fenerbahce are clubs said to be interested.

Given both stars will be on lucrative contracts at the Santiago Bernabeu, shifting them out before the end of the transfer window will be a challenge for Madrid.

Bale's future has been a huge discussion point in recent weeks, as have his activities away from the game. Zidane was recently asked about the Welshman playing golf while Madrid were taking on his former club Tottenham Hotspur in a friendly.

As for James, he fell out of favour at Madrid towards the end of the 2016-17 season, and it appears unlikely he'll be able to force his way back into contention this term.

James Ducker of the Daily Telegraph reported that Los Blancos offered him as a makeweight to Manchester United in a possible deal for Paul PogbaBoth players would benefit from a move away from the Spanish capital before the end of the transfer window, and Zidane appears to be sending a message to each that they're not part of his plans.

Although both have seen their stock fall at Madrid, they have undeniable quality and will feel confident of contributing at the highest level still. A season in the wilderness at the Bernabeu with that in mind would be a shame for both.