Real Madrid – Manchester City: Zidane's options to replace Hazard | Champions League 2019

Zinedine Zidane will be able to return to the 4-4-2 that he raised in the classic past with Bale accompanying Benzema in the lead

• Les in.
  

  Hazard, between two and three months off
  

• Analysis
  

  The unexpected crisis of Real Madrid at the key moment of the season
  

The work of the whole year of Real Madrid ended here. At the gates of March, with the first crossing of Champions and the visit of Bara to Bernabu. Until the recovery of Eden Hazard They had channeled it with care for this date. The important thing was to get well here. But all the certainties offered by the white team a month ago have been fading until the defeat of Saturday in Valencia: I lost the game, the leadership and Hazard, who suffers a fissure in the right distal peron. The new lesion of the Belgian force Zidane to touch up the board in the most important week of the course.

The problem is not new, as Real Madrid comes from living three months without the Belgian star, but the importance of the two games and the magnitude of the rivals forces to sharpen the shot. The season is going on this week.

In the last important appointments, Zidane has resorted to the system with five midfielders. Of necessity in the Supercopa of Arabia, where besides the Belgian they were missing Benzema Y Bale, and by choice in the last League derby, which left nothing satisfied. So little that at rest I removed Isco Y Kroos. “The responsibility of the first part has been more,” said the technician, who saw his team grow with Vinicius Y Lucas Vzquez in a usual 4-3-3 ms. The five media give you control, but without auctioneers that domain becomes a lean.

But against teams as offensive as Barcelona and Manchester City, Zidane is unlikely to uncover with a 4-3-3. Less after the stumbling blocks against Real Sociedad in Copa and Celta in Liga -although in both with Marcelo instead of Mendy-. Ah loses Vinicius options. The Brazilian had good minutes against Levante, but the lack of goal does not allow to justify him as a single companion of Benzema.

The memory of the last classic

The most accurate clue may be the Camp Nou classic, where Zidane bet on a drawing with four midfielders and Bale accompanying Benzema upstairs. The irruption of Valverde it has sewn the transition between defense and attack of Real Madrid, a deployment that Modric can no longer do on a daily basis, and allowed Real Madrid to raise the pressure line to disturb the creation of the Bara. The whites were superior in that game, but they condemn what so many other nights, smell.

And that is the problem to face again without Hazard. By capacity, the safest bet is Bale, although the gals has only played two of the last seven games and seems increasingly disconnected from the team. Saving the Cup goal against Unionistas, the last time that white celeb was on September 1 against Villarreal. Almost five months.

Hazard was the key to unlocking many problems of Real Madrid in attack. Not only because of its scoring facet, but due to overflow, last pass, ability to attract defenders and combine. From that left profile, a partnership with Kroos and Benzema appeared, which will have to wait at least another couple of months to establish themselves. In the squad they have players that offer those solutions but not one that offers them all.