Real Madrid vs Chelsea: Hazard threatens to haunt former team

All eyes will be on Eden Hazard when Real Madrid CF faces Chelsea FC in the first leg of their semi-final clash in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday.

The former Chelsea star has been called up by manager Zinedine Zidane, after having recovered from the latest of his numerous injuries since joining the Spanish giants in 2019.

Hazard made a name for himself during the time he spent with Chelsea, in a stint that lasted seven years. Following the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo at the end of the 2018 season, Hazard was brought in as the heir apparent a year later. However, he has so far not given justice to the no. 7 shirt that he inherited from the Portuguese forward, one that fellow striker Mariano Diaz had to hand over after temporarily holding it after Ronaldo's departure.

During his time with the Blues, Hazard won two Premier League titles, two Europa Leagues, one FA Cup and one League Cup. On the way to those titles, the Belgian made 352 appearances in total, scoring 110 goals and getting 92 assists.

He played an average of 50 games per season during the seven years he spent with Chelsea. That has been in stark contrast with his time in Real Madrid. Hazard has only scored three goals in all competitions this season and has only appeared in three of Real Madrid's 10 matches in the Champions League. Last season, he only scored a lone goal for Los Blancos across all competitions.

Tonight's match against Chelsea is a big opportunity for Hazard to show Zidane that he is still the "galactico" that the club signed way back in 2019. Unfortunately, he will need to do it against his former club.

Zidane is not expected to start Hazard, considering that he only came in as a substitute last Saturday against Real Betis, which was his first competitive match in months. However, if he does get some time on the pitch, he will be determined to score. Chelsea fans won't be looking forward to one of their club legends possibly being instrumental in eliminating them from the Champions League.

Meanwhile, a much less talked-about scenario also exists with former Real Madrid midfielder Mateo Kovacic, who is now a key player for Chelsea. He will also be keen on making a mark when he revisits his former club.