Reality Of Real Madrid 2018-2019
Real Madrid, arguably one of the greatest teams in Spanish football, if not the world. They've crushed the Spanish Football scene for years, winning the La Liga title a record number of 33 times. They've also dominated the realm of European football as well, and are the current Champions League title holders.
Last season, they beat Liverpool 3-1 and emerged as the winners for the third consecutive time making them the first ever club to do so.
They've also won the tournament a record number of 13 times, more than any other club in the world.
This year, however, might be different. Despite being favorites to win the La Liga as well as the Champions League, Real Madrid might struggle this time around, and find it difficult to replicate the success that they have enjoyed over their past few seasons. The Champions League and the La Liga have just begun, and they are nowhere close to the form they were in this time last year.
Currently, they are 6th on the La Liga table, after failing to score for 4 consecutive games and suffering a humiliating 5-1 defeat this October at the hands of their Catalan rivals, Barcelona.
Real Madrid hasn't fared well in the La Liga recently, and have won the tournament only 3 times in the past 10 years. Where they're truly shone in the Champions League, but this time might be different for the Spanish giants this time around.
One of the reasons that Real Madrid might be in trouble is due to Cristiano Ronaldo's departure. He was the top goal scorer in the Champions League for three continuous years. The Portuguese striker was signed to Italian giants Juventus and has left a big gaping void in the team, and the club was unable to sign any big names to replace him adequately.
Although they had their eyes on many talented players; they missed out last transfer window. Ronaldo was a prolific goalscorer, and almost always found the net. Real Madrid can make opportunities; it's carrying them through that might be a problem.
It is true that one player does not make an entire team, but Ronaldo was a vital part of the club, he was the pivot around which other members played. This year, with him gone, a lot of pressure falls on Real Madrid's other strikers, which may prove to be too much for them to handle. This incident also adds extra pressure on the midfield, and one small mistake may spell out doom for the entire team.
This year also saw the exit of head coach Zinedine Zidane, who oversaw his team through one of their most successful runs. It was under him that Real Madrid enjoyed European dominance, and his absence likely makes an impact.
Their current manager Santiago Solari is by no means a bad manager, but he has some big shoes to fill. The team might take a while to adapt to his style, and this might hurt their form.
Real Madrid is undoubtedly a great team with some word class players. When it comes to the La Liga, they have the potential to finish in the top 4, but it's the Champions League that they have to worry about, where they have to take on some incredibly strong teams, such as Manchester City, Paris Saint Germain, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Juventus, all of whom desperately want the title.
