It's not easy being a Real Madrid fan over the last 12 months or so.

After winning three Champions Leagues on the spin, Los Blancos have been firmly locked in a downward spiral.

Much of their failings can be attributed to the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo back in the summer of 2018.

Without the greatest player in the club's history, Real Madrid have looked streets behind both Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.

Zinedine Zidane's side got their La Liga season off to a decent start last weekend thanks to a 3-1 win away at Celta Vigo.

However, optimism from that result was quickly crushed by yesterday's 1-1 draw at home to Real Valladolid.

Karim Benzema opened the scoring, but Sergi Guardiola - no relation to Pep - equalised with just two minutes to go.

The reaction to the result from the media hasn't been great and Marca believe there's only one man to save Los Blancos; Neymar.

In fact, the Madrid-based paper believe the Brazilian is needed so much because summer signing Eden Hazard is 'not a goal scorer'.

Carlos Carpio writes: "Against Real Valladolid, Real Madrid played a good first half, however, it was not enough to take the lead.

"Although Hazard was missing, who is a star, he is not a goalscorer like Neymar, not even close, in fact. After the break, Zinedine Zidane's team again showed the same deficiencies of last season, despite having spent 300 million euros this summer.

"That's why Los Blancos need Neymar. And that's why Messi and the entire Barcelona dressing room have been pressuring the club for weeks so that they can be the ones to sign him and not Real Madrid, because they know what he is capable of."

Benzema, Hazard, Gareth Bale, James Rodriguez, Vinicius Junior, Luka Jovic and Lucas Vazquez should be enough firepower for any team.

If Hazard wasn't brought in to fill the void left by Ronaldo, then why was he signed?

Last season for Chelsea, the Belgian scored 16 goals and assisted 15 more in the Premier League, exceptional numbers in the world's most competitive league.

While Neymar has been a more prolific goal scorer during his career, you have to feel that Hazard's numbers will skyrocket in La Liga and in Real's system.

Things just do not seem right at the Bernabeu.