Marcelo says finding room for Hazard and Vinicius will be a problem for Zidane

Real Madrid completed the transfer of Eden Hazard early in the summer bringing to the Bernabeu one of the best players in the world. The positive reception to the Belgian’s arrival was near universal as he enters his peak and comes off a very impressive season with Chelsea. Hazard will hopefully provide the spark that was missing in Real Madrid’s play last season and offer enormous tactical value to Zidane as the latter looks to build a more reliable and consistent system. The only possible downside, if even that, of recruiting Hazard is the impact on the minutes distribution for the team. Specifically, Vinicius — whose burgeoning talent shone brightly last season — is at risk of not getting as much playing time as many had hoped for the 2019-20 season.

Vinicius is an incredible prospect and many fans cherish the possibility of seeing him develop into a generational player. The confidence, charisma, and technical brilliance he demonstrated last season with numerous game-changing displays and back-breaking performances earned him profound admiration from Madridistas.

At certain times, the Brazilian seemed to be carrying the team’s offense on his shoulders and made many forget that he was still only a teenager. The below is an excerpt on his impact against Real Valladolid in November 2018 from the tactical review for the match.

The young Brazilian was a breath of fresh air and demonstrated the level of unpredictability and direct play that the team was sorely missing. His first major contribution was a great move to break into the box where his deflected cross/shot ended up in the net. Later on, he also played a beautiful pass for Benzema which led to the penalty towards the end of the game. The dribbling and speed Vinicius showed were important in the context of games like these as they help create chaos and disruption which is critical to breaking down low blocks.

Zidane will have to deal with the headache of incorporating both Hazard and Vinicius (not forgetting possibly Benzema, Bale, and Jovic) into the line-up. Hazard is essentially a guaranteed starter and the structure of the team will start with him. Ideally, Vinicius would be slotted into the right wing but to what extent he will be the primary option is uncertain. One thing that shouldn’t register as a concern is whether the two would be able to play together or have chemistry. Both should be able to complement each other and foster harmony due to their somewhat similar skillsets. And it seems Brazilian wingers are quite fond of Hazard.