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Real Madrid fans are furious that Eden Hazard is starting their UEFA Champions League clash away against Shakhtar Donetsk tonight (October 11).
Los Blancos will qualify for the knockout round if they beat the Ukrainian outfit. Ancelotti has made six changes from the team that beat Getafe 1-0 in La Liga on October 8.
Karim Benzema is back in the side, as are the likes of Toni Kroos and Ferland Mendy.
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However, Hazard's inclusion has raised the most eyebrows in the Real Madrid fanbase.
The 31-year-old forward has endured a miserable spell at the Santiago Bernabeu since his big-money move (€105 million) from Chelsea in 2019. His time at the Spanish club has been plagued by injuries.
The Belgian international has scored just seven times in 70 appearances for the Galacticos, with just one of those strikes coming this season.
Hazard's goal came when he played as a centre-forward against Celtic in their opening Champions League encounter.
However, supporters appeared to be unimpressed by his inclusion on Real Madrid's left-flank, as many took to Twitter to express their disappointment:
Carlo Ancelotti wants Real Madrid to progress from group stage as early as possible
Los Blancos will progress from the group stage as winners if they beat the Ukrainian side in Warsaw. Even if the European champions don't get the job done this evening, they will be strong favorites to progress.
Ancelotti is clearly keen to progress quickly from the group, as the the Italian stated in his press conference (as per Real Madrid's official website):
“Getting out of the group stage is our first objective of the season and the sooner we do that, the better. That can help to give you more energy for the league season, but you've got to realise that when it comes to the Champions League, Real Madrid can't possibly consider not putting in a strong performance."
He added:
"If we're lucky enough to qualify tomorrow night, we’ll then go on to put in two strong performances and will want to win both games."
Ancelotti was also asked why he likes to name his starting lineup two hours before the game, to which he replied:
“I name my starting line-up two hours before kick off, just as I always do. The team talk usually begins two hours before kick-off and that's when I name my team. Nothing has changed in that respect. That's just something that I'm used to doing and I'm not bothered about not keeping the line-up a secret. There's no such thing as a secret in the modern game.”
Los Blancos are set to host arch-rivals Barcelona in La Liga on October 16.
