Real Madrid should not start Eden Hazard against Levante
Real Madrid will face Levante this coming weekend before taking on Manchester City in their first match of the 2019-2020 Champions League knockout stages. They need to make sure Eden Hazard is 100 percent for that all-important fixture.
After being banned from Champions League competition for two years, Manchester City will be especially hungry in this year’s campaign. Real Madrid will face Pep Guardiola‘s side next Wednesday in their first fixture of the knockout stages, and Los Blancos will be the favorites, given they are first in La Liga whereas City are well out of the one-sided title race with Liverpool.
Although City made it to the semifinals of last year’s competition whereas Real were bounced out early by upstarts Ajax, Guardiola couldn’t have been impressed with how his team collapsed against a mediocre Spurs side. Therefore, City vs. Real will be a massive Round of 16 fixture for both sides that will feel like a semifinal or even final.
And Eden Hazard will be the key to victory for Real.
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Hazard is the team’s best attacking player and a true superstar who was worth every bit of the nine-figure transfer fee.
The Belgian left winger returned from a serious ankle injury he sustained in late November against fellow Champions League title contenders PSG, producing a Man of the Match performance in a 2-2 draw with Celta Vigo last Sunday.
Real Madrid will face Levante in La Liga this coming Saturday before taking on Manchester City on Wednesday, Feb. 26.
Levante are 13th in the league but are not an easy win, as even relegation candidates Celta were capable of tying the Whites at the Santiago Bernabeu.
When Hazard was returning to the lineup in September, he came on as a substitute against Levante in preparation for the Champions League fixture against PSG.
The plan was executed well as far as Hazard’s return goes, as he was decent in his cameo and looked fit for PSG. But, alas, Real were blown out 3-0 at the Parc des Princes.
Real should follow a similar blueprint with Hazard on Matchday 25 against Levante. While Hazard was the best player on the pitch against Celta, Los Blancos would have won if their defense played up to its usual standard. In January, they won all eight of their games without Hazard, thanks to this stellar defense.
So Los Blancos can win without their star man in the league, especially against a bottom-half side like Levante. However, it’s more difficult for them to beat a club like City without their most individually brilliant player.
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Having Hazard as a bench option would be wise. They can bring him in if they need a boost against Levante, and if they are playing well, they can give him only maybe 15 minutes as a “tune up” for the bigger game on Wednesday against City. This approach gives Zinedine Zidane flexibility with Hazard, as he can both manage the player’s minutes while still having him as an option as needed.