Kings of Europe
Despite underperforming in La Liga, Real Madrid’s consistency in the UEFA Champions League brings forth the mettle of the team that has maintained its reign over Europe, writes Aditya K Halder.
10 March 2018 2:13 PM GMT
When it comes to the premium competition, UEFA Champions League, Real Madrid have the first right to permanently chisel their name on the silverware. Winning it for an astonishing 12 times, Real Madrid have made the trophy its darling for decades now – AC Milan is next in line with seven to their name. Despite enduring a harrowing domestic season, Real's thirst for the European Cup never quenches.
Heading into the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 home-away clashes against the spendthrift Paris Saint Germain, 12-time European champion Real Madrid were deemed second-favourites in the tie by the sceptics. Aptly so, the Spanish giants haven't been themselves this season and were on the decline since winning the UEFA Supercup against mighty Manchester United in August. Real finished second in the group stages of the continental championship behind an unlikely Tottenham Hotspurs, a team which Real defeated with proficient comfort in the past. They were about to host the group-topping Parisians – who were riding high on confidence after scoring 25 goals in six European games.
But, just when the conquest to be the Kings of Europe for the third successive season looked in jeopardy for the Zinedine Zidane-managed side, Real conjured up a sumptuous performance to defeat PSG 3-1 in front of a boisterous Bernabeu. The match witnessed a side capable of turning the result in their favour even when the odds were against them. While the Neymar-starrer side rued their missed chances, the hosts – on the other hand – cringed to the openings thrown at them to put themselves in a convenient situation. However, the Spanish Capital side were never complacent about the two-goal advantage as they proved their first leg gig was just an aperitif and the entrée was to take place in Paris.
Despite Neymar being out, PSG was still regarded as the favourite for the tie as an ebullient Parc de Princes vowed to turn things around for their side. But Cristiano & Co were having none of it as they showcased complete domination in a 2-1 win (5-2 on aggregate) to quiet the home fans.
"Real Marid always does it," said former Real Madrid player Marcos Tebar. "Every time they go through a bad phase, they come back strong. Last night (on Tuesday), the entire team played like a unit; a perfect performance. Many thought Madrid will suffer in the game but they took control and never allowed PSG to feel comfortable. PSG scored but after (Marco's) red card, they never stood a chance." The tie saw Real having 22 attempts to score (12 on goal) compared with Unai Emery-managed side's 14; also surpassing individual battles (winning 62 against 45). Awe-inspiring were those who thought the season is nothing but a nightmare for a club who sits third in the domestic league – 15 points adrift the summit.
La Liga woes
Whether it's their recent 1-0 defeat against Catalan-minnows Espanyol (through a late goal by Gerard Moreno) or a 3-0 thrashing in the El Clasico at home by arch-rival Barcelona in December last year, La Liga 2017-18 is a collage of woeful memories for the Capital giants. Engulfed in the glory of decimating hated-rivals Barca 5-1 on aggregate in the Supercopa de Espana, Real got complacent, especially at the Santiago Bernabeu; they failed to win three of their opening matches at home: one to Real Betis (1-0).
Catalans, on the other hand, were raring to prove themselves after the Supercopa humiliation and rallied to win five games on the trot to build an eight-point cushion after as many matches. Despite a proclamation by club captain Sergio Ramos for reducing the gap in the upcoming matchdays, Los Blancos never recovered from the psychological pitfall and slumped 19 points far from the Catalans by the beginning of the New Year.
From star to shadow
Following another ineffective performance in Liga against Espanyol last week, Isco walked off in exasperation when he was subbed off for Karim Benzema in the second half. His decline seems to have had a direct impact on the Madrid giants' showing. His downslide, coupled with unloading the likes of James Rodriguez and Alvaro Morata (to Bayern Munich and Chelsea respectively), affected the bench strength of Los Blancos. The 25-year-old Spanish International played a huge role in their success last season, which saw them winning the duplet of Champions League and La Liga – but the young Turk has gradually fallen out of favour ever since.
From fitting into the scheme of things for gaffer Zidane, in place of injury-prone Gareth Bale, to starting just six of the domestic league games in 2018, Isco has been a vague shadow of himself. Excessive dribbling, lack of passing precision and losing the ball in a dangerous position has often bogged down Real Madrid's game, leading to a demotion of former Malaga midfielder's role to a utility player.
Former Real Madrid midfielder and present Delhi Dynamos coach Miguel Angel Portugal doesn't want to write-off his fellow countrymen yet. "Isco is the best talent of Spain. He has a bright future in front of him and he must be looking to end the season on a high as the World Cup is near. Like Cristiano Ronaldo, he will find his form soon too," said Portugal.
Insatiable Cristiano
Scoring 300 Liga goals in just 286 outings for the Blancos is testimony to the greatness of the scoring machine called Cristiano Ronaldo. His form always seems to have a direct impact on the results of the club. During the first half of the unforgettable season, when they sat 19 points far from the top, Ronaldo managed just four goals. However, his form in the continental competition remained majestic as the sturdy striker managed nine goals in six group-stage matches. Proving his mantle again as a big-match player, Cristiano led from the front to open the scoring in both the ties against the Parisians in the knockout stages (scoring a brace in the first leg).
The 33-year-old former Manchester United winger has already equalled his Champions League goal tally from the last season (12) and is four goals shy of equaling the goal count from the crown-winning Champions league season 2015-16.
"There's nothing new left to say about him (Cristiano)," said Portugal. "He is the kind of player every coach wants. Every time there is a dip in his form, he replies with goals, more and more goals. Real have other capable players too, but Cristiano's decisiveness makes him the best option to lead them all the way."
'The 13th'
Real have sent out a strong message to the rest of the European rivals by uprooting the Parisians; they might be suffering in the home league but they are no pushovers in the continental championship and won't stop until they bring the 13th home. Even history seems to reside with the Madrid giants – spearheaded by (present Bayern Munich manager) Jupp Heynckes in 1998 when they finished fourth in the La Liga but went on to lift their eighth European silverware by defeating Juventus.
"Champions League is special for the Madridistas," said the Madrid-born Tebar. "Doesn't matter how Real Madrid do in La Liga, winning the European final beats everything. And, if there is a team capable of lifting it for third-successive time, it is Real Madrid."
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