Real can cope without Hazard
Madrid miss Ramos as they take on City
MANCHESTER: Real Madrid would love nothing more than for Eden Hazard to burst into life against Manchester City tonight but their march to the La Liga title has shown they know very well how to win without him.
Faced with the challenge of overturning a 2-1 first-leg defeat in February, a lesser Madrid might have been looking to Hazard for inspiration as they try to shock Pep Guardiola’s side and reach the Champions League quarter-finals.
“We know we have to go there and win,” said Zinedine Zidane after the first leg.
Back in England, where he forged his reputation as one of the world’s most lethal attackers, and up against arguably the favourites to win the tournament, the stage is set again for Hazard to rescue what has been a nightmare opening year in Spain.
Yet few are billing this as a duel between Hazard and Kevin de Bruyne, Belgium’s two brightest talents, or tieing Madrid’s progress to the mast of a decisive Hazard intervention, the like of which Madrid’s fans are yet to witness this season.
“We know the team wins with Eden,” said Zidane in February. “That’s why we signed him, he’s a great player.”
But the team have won without him too. The reality is Madrid have learned not to miss the player they signed for €100 million last year and who said at his unveiling at the Santiago Bernabeu he wanted to become the club’s next Galactico.
There is still time, but Hazard’s Madrid career so far has been a series of setbacks and comebacks, with only glimpses in between of those mazey runs, surges of acceleration or goals. In 21 appearances, Hazard has scored only once this season.
He may not be fully fit today given the 11 games since La Liga resumed saw Hazard start some games, come off early in others and miss a handful altogether.
He was absent from the pictures published by the club on Wednesday of the morning’s training session at Valdebebas.
Zidane has been vague on the 29-year-old’s fitness issues but what is clear is the operation in March does not appear to have completely fixed his troublesome right ankle.
When he has been fit enough to play, Hazard has struck an unmissable chemistry with Karim Benzema and their promising partnership could wreak havoc in City’s creaky backline or, further ahead, take Madrid to another level next term.
Zidane has admitted his team’s La Liga success was built almost entirely on their defence but there is room for improvement up front, where Benzema’s brilliant form has often made up for a lack of fluency and chances.
“Even as someone who prefers exciting, attacking football, the defence is the most important thing right now,” Zidane said last month.
In that sense, Madrid’s strengths are far more threatened in Manchester by the absence of the suspended Sergio Ramos than they would be boosted by the return of Hazard, who could be kept on the bench if the conservative Zidane prefers a late push to all-out attack from the start.
There would be no better moment for peak Hazard to emerge but this is not the Madrid he joined last year, desperate and dead on their feet, at the end of a chastening season without silverware and without encouragement.
Zidane has led the transformation and he maintains complete faith, at least in public, that Hazard will come good at Madrid eventually. For now at least, it is more hope than expectation.
BALE LEFT OUT
Gareth Bale has been left out of Real Madrid’s 24-player squad for their last 16 second leg against Manchester City tonight.
Sergio Ramos will travel with the squad, Madrid confirmed, despite being suspended for the fixture.
Bale, 31, was not on the list, adding another low-point to a turbulent season for the Welshman, who has hardly featured for Madrid this year.
Despite Madrid storming to the La Liga title, Bale made only two appearances during the 11 games after La Liga resumed, one of them from the start.
He was pictured standing away from the team’s celebrations with Zidane after their league success was confirmed and had caused a stir by pretending to be asleep during Madrid’s game against Alaves.
FIXTURES (kick-offs 2am Thai time)
Today
At Turin: Juventus (ITA) v Lyon (FRA); Lyon won first leg 1-0
At Manchester: Manchester City (ENG) v Real Madrid (ESP); Man City won first leg 2-1
Tomorrow
At Munich: Bayern Munich (GER) v Chelsea (ENG); Bayern won first leg 3-0
At Barcelona: Barcelona (ESP) v Napoli (ITA); First leg 1-1
Note: Final stages to be played in Lisbon; Quarterfinals Aug 12-15; Semi-finals Aug 18-19; Final Aug 23