Real Madrid: Three keys to victory against Chelsea

Put Eden Hazard in a position to succeed

Eden Hazard is back. The marquee 2019 signing returned to the Real Madrid starting XI this past weekend against Osasuna, and while the team did not score with the Belgian on the pitch, he did give Los Merengues a quality 70 minutes. In his two La Liga appearances since returning, Hazard has shown flicks, tricks, and the agility we commonly associate with a man who once made the Premier League his.

On Wednesday night, Hazard will return to his old stomping grounds, and Madridistas are practically begging Hazard to turn in his first great, complete big-game performance with the club. He’s had great games against lower-tier La Liga sides like Eibar and Alaves, but aside from an hour against PSG, we haven’t seen him take it to the continent’s elite.

So the stage is set for last year’s Round of 16 disappointment to make a profound impact against an even more familiar Premier League opponent.

The key for Real Madrid is finding a way to make sure Eden Hazard can get into situations where he can take shots on goal or take on only one or two defenders before laying off a chance-creating pass to a forward.

We saw Hazard play as a No. 10 against Osasuna. That isn’t his preferred position, but it puts him closer to the goal and in the thick of the action. It also makes it less dangerous for him, since he does not have to take as many risky one-on-ones on his ankle. But it does make him a less dangerous scorer if he has less space to cut inside and find the shooting angle.

Zinedine Zidane must weigh up his best XI and how Hazard can be optimized in the gameplan. And then it will be up to Hazard and his teammates to make it happen during the match.