Real Madrid: Three burning questions after Champions League elimination

Real Madrid were knocked out of the 2020-2021 Champions League on Wednesday night, as they lost 2-0 to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in what can only be described as an atrocious performance from the visitors.

Los Blancos never really looked like they were going to win the game, and Madridistas were frustrated by the lack of urgency shown in the attack.

Now that the Champions League season is over, it’s time for Real to focus on La Liga. But first, here are some burning questions in the aftermath of the defeat.

What’s next for Eden Hazard?

Eden Hazard did not have much of an influence on the second leg, even though Real Madrid fans had hoped that a return to health and a return to Stamford Bridge would serve the left winger well in this must-win match. But Hazard struggled to get on the ball and didn’t really seem to command it either.

The big story, unfortunately, revolves around Hazard laughing with his former teammates after the match. It’s understandable for him to want to have fun with his friends, but this wasn’t exactly the time or place for that. And he had to know the cameras would catch him. At a club like Real Madrid, this sort of thing is especially frowned upon. On top of that, Hazard is a star player who hasn’t performed like one, so seeing this has made him a target for Madridistas.

I think, in the end, this will blow over pretty quickly. Surely, he’ll have to have a discussion with some people within the club and apologize privately, but I think Zinedine Zidane and the rest of the organization understand that Hazard wasn’t trying to be disrespectful. Maybe he just got caught up in a moment with his old friends. Hazard is known for being laid-back, whereas we are usually used to seeing ultra-competitive superstars like, say, Cristiano Ronaldo.

The main thing will be Hazard’s performance on the pitch in the final games of the season with the league title on the line. That matters a lot more than one snapshot after the loss to Chelsea, even if the optics were admittedly not good at all. The reality is that his poor performance stings more to the majority of fans anyway.