Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane set to unleash new attacking trident for Manchester City clash

Eden Hazard and Karim Benzema (pictured) are set to start alongside Marco Asensio for the first time this season against Manchester City
AFP via Getty Images
Ben Hayward3 August 2020

Real Madrid's recent LaLiga triumph was built on defensive stability, but Los Blancos will require something more on Friday night to overcome Manchester City.

In the league, Thibaut Courtois claimed the Zamora prize awarded to the goalkeeper that concedes the fewest goals over the course of a campaign, while Zinedine Zidane's side finished the season with Europe's meanest defence (with just 25 let in overall).

All of that was impressive and also necessary as Madrid scored a relatively low 70 goals (an average of below two per game and 16 fewer than second-placed Barcelona) en route to the title.

Against City in the teams' Champions League last-16 second-leg clash on Friday, Real will need to maintain their stability at the back, which will be more difficult without suspended captain Sergio Ramos. But they will also have to score at least twice.

Zidane rotated his talented squad to great effect during the run-in as Madrid put together a streak of 10 straight wins before a 2-2 draw at Leganes on the final day, when LaLiga had already been won.

In the home game against City, the Frenchman surprisingly left out Toni Kroos in midfield and saw Madrid lose out to two late goals after Isco had handed Los Blancos the lead on the hour.

Pep Guardiola's side have conceded only one goal in their last seven games at home and given the difficulty of overturning this tie, Zidane will not exclude the German again, while Standard Sport understands he is preparing a new attacking trident for the trip to Manchester.

Marco Asensio, Eden Hazard and Karim Benzema would likely have been the coach's preferred attacking line-up for the 2019-20 season, but injuries to the Spaniard and the Belgian mean they are yet to start a match together.

Asensio returned to action in June following 11 months on the sidelines after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in pre-season last July and scored three goals in his nine appearances (of which three were starts) after lockdown.

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Hazard has also seen his debut season in Spain interrupted by injury.

He missed the start of the campaign before suffering an ankle fracture in November. Hazard then aggravated the problem on his return, requiring surgery in February.

The enforced break due to coronavirus has allowed both players to get back to fitness and alongside Benzema, Madrid's best player in 2019-20, they will carry the hopes of a first-ever Champions League comeback away from home in Europe following a defeat at the Santiago Bernabeu.

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