Real Madrid may not have won La Liga since 2012, but they have clinched the Champions League twice since 2014. Carlo Ancelotti guided Madrid to European success in his very first season as head coach of the club, and then last season Zinedine Zidane led Los Blancos to the title just four months after taking over from Rafael Benitez.
Madrid are going strong in La Liga at the moment and are favourites to win the title. It would be a great achievement for the Spanish giants, but there is another feat that would be even bigger – becoming the champions of Europe for the second season in a row. No team has claimed the European crown back to back in the Champions League era. Madrid have a chance to create history.
According to Betway, Madrid are third favourites to win the Champions League this season behind fellow Spanish club Barcelona and German outfit Bayern Munich, but one should not be surprised if they become the frontrunner after the first knockout round. Los Blancos will take on Napoli in the last-16 stage, and they should be able to progress to the quarter finals of Europe’s premier club competition.
Madrid have a very strong squad. Cristiano Ronaldo is still one of the world’s best players, Karim Benzema is scoring important goals and Gareth Bale is as good as ever. Toni Kroos and Isco are also playing well, and Keylor Navas remains a superb goalkeeper.
The problem with Madrid is that defensively they are not as good as they should be. Star defender Sergio Ramos has scored six goals in La Liga, but the Spain international has not looked very consistent or confident at the back and has also been shown five yellow cards in just 11 league matches. During the Champions League group stage, the Spanish giants conceded ten goals in six matches, two more than Sporting Lisbon, who finished at the bottom.
For Madrid to win the Champions League during the 2016-17 campaign, they will have to get the better of top teams, such as Bayern, Barcelona, Juventus and Manchester City. To win against such strong sides, Los Blancos cannot afford to make even a single mistake. Would Zidane’s side be able to maintain discipline at the back?
Moreover, would Madrid president Florentino Perez be too bothered if the team fail to win the Champions League but clinch La Liga? It is nothing short of an embarrassment that since 2008 Madrid have become the champions of Spain only once (in 2012). Given Los Blancos’ current league position, it would make sense for them to pay more attention and give more value to La Liga.
As teams have found out over the years, it is extremely hard to win the Champions League two years in a row. The odds are stacked up against Madrid, but there is always a first time for everything. The Spanish club’s fans would certainly be optimistic that the team would win both La Liga and the Champions League this season.
