Can Real Madrid really continue with Hazard as back-up to Benzema?

It’s not been long since Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti talked about the experiment to play Eden Hazard as a false nine, and fair to say, if the first minutes are any indication of how it is going to be, then, well, it’s not going to be a fun experience.

Hazard looked bad in the first game vs. Barcelona. Against Club America, he was a bit better, but let’s be real: The quality matters. Real Madrid are going to play tougher opponents, and it’s all a matter of how good Hazard would be against those teams.

Now, the problem also exists when you think about what happens if Hazard doesn’t perform as well as you’d expect him to. Do we go back to Modric and Kroos being false nines and conceding four goals?

Do we try and fail in playing Rodrygo as a false nine? Do we stick with Mariano who does everything but score or create chances for his teammates? What’s the alternative? What’s the plan of action here?

I think the only correct plan of action if Real Madrid don’t get too much out of this is to sign a striker, in my opinion. There is nothing else I can think of and be like, “hey, that’s a great idea.”

Real Madrid don’t have options on the bench that can score goals consistently. Rodrygo is a winger, and getting a striker now would be perfect because it’s the only way to get some production off the bench, as well as to get a player that can play when Benzema is not around, however rare that may be.

Now, I am definitely with the idea of giving this Hazard experiment a couple more go’s, but if it doesn’t work, then Real Madrid should definitely start looking into the market in search of a striker that is capable of playing off the bench.

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There are multiple options, most of them won’t even cost the club all that much. It’s all a matter of whether the club looks at this problem as something that requires an immediate solution or not.