Real Madrid: 5 key players to watch at Manchester City

LW Eden Hazard

Real Madrid forward Eden Hazard will likely draw the start opposite of Marco Asensio if Zinedine Zidane rolls with his most ideal 4-3-3, though Hazard would also be a possible starter over Vinicius Junior in a 4-4-2 diamond formation.

Hazard is at his best when he’s fresh. He looked great against Eibar when La Liga first returned, even providing an assist for Sergio Ramos’ counterattack goal. The unselfish Belgian superstar has done so much this season to help others create chances, often at the expense of his own statistics. And under Zidane, he has defended far more robustly than he ever did at Chelsea.

Vinicius could legitimately start against City and was great in the first leg, but this looks like an opportunity for Hazard. Like Vini, the FIFA 20 cover star is more than capable of catching lightning in a bottle, and his Europa League Final display against bitter rivals Arsenal last season is just one example of how much Hazard steps up in massive games.

The 2019-2020 season hasn’t be an ideal introduction to Madrid for Hazard, even by his own self-admittance, so he may be the most eager of all of Real’s players to show Madridistas his absolute best at the Etihad Stadium. In terms of pure talent, there won’t be a better player on the pitch if he starts.