Real Madrid: The three best starting XI’s that include Eden Hazard
By Amir Elrafie
It’s fair to say that Eden Hazard’s time at Real Madrid hasn’t exactly lived up to expectations. The former Chelsea superstar was unparalleled during his time in England and was simply a player that was a joy to watch.
The same cannot be said about the Belgian international’s time at Real Madrid so far, as Hazard has struggled with a plethora of fitness and injury problems that have seen him fail to replicate glimpses of his former self.
At the beginning of the 2021/22 season, it seemed as if Hazard would be rekindled under new manager Carlo Ancelotti as he started respective matches against Alavés and Levante in league competition and was showing glimpses of promise.
While the tide was beginning to turn for Hazard, the never-ending circle of injuries and fitness problems was continuing to arise, and seemingly enough, Vinícius Júnior’s meteoric rise in form this season has wholly seen Hazard excluded from the starting lineup altogether.
Ancelotti even explained in the press conference ahead of Real Madrid’s clash against Osasuna on matchday 11 of La Liga that Hazard’s problem was simply that there are better players ahead of him in the pecking order:
"“Hazard is ready, but his problem right now is that he has a coach who prefers other players, which can happen in a squad like this one.” – Carlo Ancelotti"
All of this seems to be pointing towards another season of disaster for the Belgian. However, you cannot rule anything out just yet as there is still a large majority of the season to go. Should Hazard remain fit and revitalize his former self, Real Madrid could end up having a valuable asset to their starting eleven.
While Hazard’s performances this season haven’t garnered enough reason for Ancelotti to include him in the starting eleven, there could certainly be ways in which Real Madrid could incorporate him in their starting eleven that could ultimately get the best out of him.
That said, here are the three best Real Madrid starting lineups that include Hazard.