After an injury marred start to life at Real Madrid, Eden Hazard could be turning things around under Carlo Ancelotti. After selling Luka Jovic to Fiorentina, Ancelotti let his most experienced backup striker go leaving the team with limited cover for 34 year old Karim Benzema. To an extent that’s understandable as not many strikers would want to back up a Ballon d’Or candidate with a limited chance at starting for the club but it has caused Ancelotti to get creative.
It began in preseason with Hazard being tested as a false nine and he needed to be utilized in the team’s Champions League tie with Celtic when Benzema went down with an injury only 30 minutes into the match. Hazard came off the bench scoring a goal and now seems to be an integral part of the team’s plans, when it seemed more likely that he’d be anywhere but with Los Blancos at this point of his career. Hazard joined during the 2019/20 season and has only contributed to 10 La Liga goals in 50 appearances for the team.
But with Benzema ruled out due to a quad injury, this could be Hazard’s time to shine leading the line. After the Celtic tie, Ancelotti had praise for Hazard saying, “His position, a bit deeper, could help us… He was clinical, we scored the second thanks to him and he was in the box to score the third. A perfect game for him.” Ancelotti has confirmed that Hazard will start against Mallorca which is also a testament to his management style.
In midfield Real Madrid are a club in transition after losing Casemiro to Manchester United but Aurelien Tchouameni hasn’t missed a beat as his replacement while the smaller squad this season has actually suited Ancelotti so far. Contracting the number of squad members makes it easier for Ancelotti to tinker and figure out appropriate roles for everyone in the team for competing on multiple fronts.
Here’s our storylines, how you can watch the match and more:
How to watch and odds
- Date: Sunday, Sep. 11 | Time: 8 a.m. ET
- Location: Estadio Santiago Bernabeau — Madrid
- TV: None | Live stream: ESPN+
- Odds: Real Madrid -380; Draw +490; Mallorca +1000 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Storylines
Real Madrid: It’s unknown how long Benzema’s injury will keep him sidelined for but Ancelotti will likely play things safe considering his importance to the team. Los Blancos have enough firepower going forward to survive without their talisman. The trio of Eder Militao, Jesus Vallejo, and Alvaro Odrizola will all be game time decisions as Mallorca will need a lot of help to make this a competitive fixture. Real Madrid are joint top scorers in La Liga with 11 goals in four matches played.
Mallorca: The season has been a struggle for Mallorca so far. While they’ve only allowed three goals, two of these were in facing Real Betis which is the toughest team they’ve faced this season. Mallorca have struggled to score and it won’t get any easier heading to Madrid.
Prediction
Hazard will shine as Real Madrid roll to a comprehensive home victory continuing their perfect start to the La Liga season. Pick: Real Madrid 4, Mallorca 0
