Real Madrid: Three reasonable expectations from Eden Hazard
By Parshva Shah
A player of Eden Hazard’s caliber always carries a ton of expectations along with him, and a €100 million tag only increases those expectations. However, amidst a season filled with injuries, Madridistas are fortunate enough to watch the No.7 play again before the end of the season.
Real Madrid made a statement of intent last summer when they splashed over €300 million, with €100 million of that spent on signing Chelsea star Eden Hazard.
Hazard has worked incredibly hard during the lockdown to return to full fitness and no one would have expected him to start the very first game when the league was cleared to resume. He has already been instrumental in victories over Eibar and Valencia.
With La Liga entering the final few weeks of the season, and the UEFA Champions League set to be played in August, here are three expectations from the Belgian.
Emerging leader in attack
Eden Hazard has already registered two assists in two games since returning from injury. However, he has scored just a solitary goal all season in all competitions which has put more pressure on fellow forward Karim Benzema.
Ever since Cristiano Ronaldo left the club in 2018, Real Madrid has struggled in attack, which is exactly why Hazard was signed by Los Blancos.
The 29-year old will have to shoulder the responsibility of contributing a couple of goals in La Liga – and helping the team win the league – would be the perfect way to redeem himself and boost his confidence.
Help Real Madrid win La Liga and have a deep run in the UCL
Having been ousted from the Copa del Rey, Real Madrid sit comfortably at the top of the La Liga table and can overturn the 2-1 loss against Manchester City in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16.
Eden Hazard’s personal aims will be to contribute with goals and assists, in bulk, which in turn will help Real Madrid conquer Spain and Europe.
Real Madrid will be facing a Herculean task when they clash against Manchester City and will need a lot of firepower to progress to the next round. Eden Hazard will be central to Zidane’s plans and everything will be flowing through the Belgian’s wiggly-waggly feet.
Prevent another injury
Hazard has already missed more matches this season than he did in his entire eight seasons with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge thanks to the injuries. This really dampened the spirits of Madridistas, who have dreamed for him to grace the Bernabéu for a long time.
Having proven his fitness and showing immense determination in the face of adversity during the initial weeks of the season, Hazard got into shape quickly.
Next. Three ways Real Madrid can avenge their loss to Mallorca. dark
He got injured for the third time this season during a match against Levante in February. It seemed as if his season was over with that injury. However, he put in the hard yards and busted a gut to get ready for the Eibar game, the first game Real Madrid played since the lockdown.
Experiencing a cursed season so far, Hazard’s most important task at hand would probably be to put his injury woes behind him and end the season without any more setbacks.