Hazard starts as Real defeat Osasuna to keep pressure on leaders Atletico

Real Madrid held their nerve to beat Osasuna 2-0 in La Liga on Saturday as  made his first start since January, raising the possibility of Zinedine Zidane picking him for Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final second leg against Chelsea.

After making a brief cameo off the bench in the first leg last week, Hazard played 72 minutes at Valdebebas and could now face his former club from the start in the pivotal return game at Stamford Bridge.

Real Madrid have it all to do after drawing the opener 1-1 and they are playing catch-up in La Liga too, after Atletico Madrid had earlier scraped to a 1-0 victory against struggling Elche.

Elche’s Fidel Chaves missed a 91st-minute penalty in what could prove a pivotal moment in Spain’s thrilling title race, with Atletico maintaining their two-point lead over Real and stretching the advantage to five over Barcelona. Atletico’s win meant victory for Real was essential and they had to work hard for it against a determined Osasuna side, Eder Militao breaking the deadlock before Casemiro made it two four minutes later.

Zidane’s squad has been stretched by absentees in recent weeks and he left Luka Modric and Toni Kroos on the bench, while handing Hazard his first start since Jan.30.

There could be a fresh concern, though, after defender Raphael Varane was taken off at half-time.

Hazard was bright from the start, even if his precision was missing. He drove through midfield but skewed a shot wide. The best chance fell to Hazard from a Marcelo cross but he failed to catch the volley cleanly and goalkeeper Sergio Herrera did brilliantly to save.

Karim Benzema had already gone close and Militao had a pair of headers early in the second half that again drew Herrera into action.

Hazard faded and departed with 18 minutes left. Osasuna were tiring too and finally Madrid got the breakthrough, Militao making it third time lucky, rising high to head in Isco’s corner.

Four minutes later it was two, Benzema driving in from the left and slipping a reverse pass through for Casemiro, who stretched to control and instead poked tha ball directly into the net.

Atletico edge out Elche : Elche squandered two golden opportunities to snatch a draw against Atletico.

First, Antonio Barragan volleyed over from close range and then Marcos Llorente’s handball gave Fidel a chance from the spot but he struck the post.

Atletico are now guaranteed to be ahead of Barca when they kick off at Camp Nou next Saturday, the only question now how significant their advantage will be. Real Madrid also face Sevilla at Valdebebas a day later in a crunch weekend at the top but the resistance of 18th-placed Elche against La Liga’s frontrunners suggests the race may well go to the final day.

Simeone’s side were denied three times in the first half, Luis Suarez missing a golden chance before they had a goal and a penalty ruled out by VAR.

Finally, Atletico broke through, with Yannick Carrasco weaving through down the left before picking out the arriving Llorente, whose shot deflected off Josema Sanchez on its way in.

There was more drama to come as Victor Rodriguez’s cross struck the hand of the leaping Llorente in the box and Fidel stepped up to secure a point. Instead, he found the outside of the post.

Agence France-Presse