Real Madrid: 3 things to look forward to against Manchester City

Real Madrid will face Manchester City next Friday, and there’s a lot for Madridistas to watch.

After collapsing late in the late February game, Real Madrid head into their second leg Round of 16 Champions League match against Manchester City facing a 2-1 deficit. That means if Real can hold City to a clean sheet at the Etihad Stadium, which will be a tall task even for arguably the competition’s best defense, then they must score at least two goals of their own.

So Real Madrid are up against it, but they have scored huge wins against top-notch Champions League teams before. And as Tottenham showed in 2018-2019, Man City are not infallible in the Champions League either.

Here are three things for Madridistas to look forward to watching on Aug. 7.

A healthy Eden Hazard

Eden Hazard was still recovering from his first ankle injury of the 2019-2020 season when Real Madrid faced Manchester City in the first leg, so the Belgian superstar was unable to show off his talents against a Premier League club he routinely embarrassed while at Chelsea. Because, well, he embarrassed everyone when he played for the Blues.

Hazard, by his own admission, hasn’t enjoyed the best season at Madrid, but he looked amazing in October and November before his first injury. And he also looked quite good when he initially returned from his two injuries.

City have not faced Real Madrid with Hazard in the lineup, and, as Eibar can attest, Los Blancos are so much more dangerous with the No. 7 on the pitch. As honest as Madrid fans are about their 100 million euro signing, the vast majority of them are looking forward to watching him make a difference in the Champions League.