Real Madrid vs. Celta Vigo: 3 possible forward lines with Gareth Bale injured
LW Vinicius Junior, ST Karim Benzema, RW Eden Hazard
Perhaps Carlo Ancelotti will try to throw a curveball with an unbalanced formation. Eden Hazard tucks in heavily with Dani Carvajal or a midfielder like Fede Valverde or Luka Modric overlapping. Thus, Hazard, fresh off a good performance for the Belgian national team against the Czech Republic, is in a playmaking role with Vinicius cutting inside from wide across from him.
The Real Madrid manager may prefer to have Rodrygo Goes in a bench role so that he can come on later as an impact sub on the left or right, depending on what makes the most sense. Considering Hazard has had trouble lasting 90 minutes, he may be the more logical sub.
That said, the big appeal here is getting both Hazard and Vinicius Junior on the pitch at the same time. These three men are Real’s best attacking players, and you would think that Ancelotti wants to maximize their minutes. We know how good Hazard can be without injury, and perhaps the performance for Belgium is a sign of things to come.
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Vinicius is the man in form, and with Bale’s injury, this could be an opportunity for Ancelotti to try something new with Hazard and his attacking tactics. Maybe it will pay dividends against Celta Vigo, who are known for playing fluid attacking football but are just as known for being vulnerable at the back end to an opponent’s high-flying offense.