Real Madrid: Eden Hazard leads LaLiga in a foretelling statistic

Real Madrid attacker Eden Hazard has transitioned from the left wing role he was comfortable in, as he is now playing as more of a “free” player or an attacking midfielder under Carlo Ancelotti.

This change has been made in order to accommodate Hazard’s changed skill-set after repeated injuries, as Hazard no longer has the explosiveness necessary to be a winger in Real’s demanding 4-3-3 system. With Vinicius Junior poised to have the season of his life on the left wing, the position switch for Hazard has made even more sense.

Although Hazard has not scored yet this season and only has one assist, Madridistas have seen promising signs from the Belgian in the 2021-2022 season.

Ancelotti must still figure out how to find a defensive balance in his XI, and playing Hazard in a free role can sometimes undermine this balance. But when it comes to the creative stats that don’t show up in the box score, Hazard is indeed lighting it up.

Eden Hazard has the most key passes per 90 in LaLiga

Contrary to what some people who do not follow football closely will tell you, Hazard is making a positive impact. And WhoScored have tweeted out the stats to prove it.

Hazard is LaLiga‘s leader in key passes per 90 minutes, averaging a whopping 4.0 per 90. The adjustment to 90 minutes, of course, benefits Hazard, since he often does not play the full 90 as the starter or is sometimes brought in off the bench to add that linking dimension to an attack that sometimes feels disjointed without him.

Iker Munian is a bit of a surprise to see in second, but Real Betis’ Nabil Fekir is a creative genius whom Madridistas are familiar with. He often gives Real Madrid problems when Los Verdiblancos come into town. So it is impressive for Hazard to be ahead of Fekir, who is in the midst of another important season in Manuel Pellegrini’s squad.

The fact that Hazard leads the league in key pass efficiency is a sign that the assists will come. He often has a crucial role in the final move to a goal, even if he is not responsible for the final ball in every case. Hazard still isn’t at his 100 percent and will never be the same player he was on the highlight reels at Chelsea. But his key passing shows that he can remain valuable to Real Madrid, or, perhaps cynically, any other team he plays for going into 2022.