Coquelin and Hazard take duel to LaLiga

Francis Coquelin and Eden Hazard have been frequent foes throughout their careers, and now they take their running battle to LaLiga with Valencia CF’s visit to the capital to play Real Madrid. The pair could face one another for the first time since Hazard’s arrival in Spain, but their story against one another stretches back over 12 years.

Aged 16 and 17, respectively, they first played on opposing sides in a friendly on February 27th, 2008, representing France and Belgium at Under-17 level.

From there, they crossed paths in Ligue 1, the Coupe de France, the Premier League, the Community Shield, FA Cup and League Cup.

When in his native France, Coquelin played on loan at Lorient in 2010/11, whilst Hazard was on the books at LOSC Lille. The latter side would win the league, and Hazard was named the best player in the competition. In that same year, the two played against one another in the Coupe de France quarter finals, with Lille triumphing on penalties.

Coquelin’s time at Arsenal saw him share a city with Hazard, who was brought in by Chelsea. Of particular note from their encounters at that time was the FA Cup win for Coquelin’s Gunners on May 27th, 2017, with a 2-1 result against Chelsea at Wembley, and the 2015 Community Shield earned at the same venue.

The pair square off for the first time in LaLiga this week, as Hazard missed the corresponding fixture from the first half of the season through injury. A story stretching back 12 years has another chapter written on Thursday night at the Alfredo Di Stefano stadium.