After experiencing one of the greatest seasons in domestic club history, Real Madrid is now enduring on one of the worst campaigns in their entire history. The league champions currently sit a whopping 17 points behind league toppers, Barcelona.
The truth is, Zinedine Zidane may have had a remarkable first full season in charge, but if Los Blancos fail in the knockout stages versus Paris Saint-Germain, he will lose his job. However, the Frenchman should have nothing to fear, because Real Madrid is a different animal in the Champions League.
Here’s why Real Madrid’s recent results won’t influence the Paris Saint-Germain tie.
#3 Gareth Bale is fit
The Welshman has had a pretty on-off season so far as injuries have hampered his progress. The 28-year-old has only been able to make 15 appearances this season, equating to 969 minutes of playing time. But now the Welshman is fully fit and raring to go just in time for the biggest game of the season.
Everyone knows that a fit Gareth Bale is as good as any player in world football. His pace, power, ball control, agility and lethal left foot can decide games in a matter of seconds. As well as having the best player in the world on their team, Real Madrid will now have Gareth Bale to run at PSG’s shaky defence.
#2 They understand the gravity of the tie
There are no two ways about it; the UEFA Champions League is what will determine whether this is a successful season or not for Los Blancos. The La Liga title is excellent but being seen as the best in Europe is far more important to Florentino Perez.
These Real Madrid players know that the UCL is the pinnacle of club football and if they prove themselves in this, all else will be forgiven. It’s also quite likely that Zinedine Zidane will be sacked, as harsh as it sounds if he can’t go on to win the Champions League again.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo is back
The 5-time Ballon d’Or has made a habit out of dominating the biggest stages. At club level, there’s no bigger stage than the Champions League. And the reason why Real Madrid have won three out of the past four UCL campaigns is because of Cristiano Ronaldo’s rich vein of goalscoring form in those tournaments. The 33-year-old is the all-time top scorer in the Champions League with 114 goals, 17 more than Lionel Messi.
It’s fair to say that Cristiano Ronaldo has not been in scintillating form this season. In La Liga, he had only scored 8 goals in 17 appearances. That tally was boosted when the world’s best player showed everyone that he was back to his best with a perfect hat-trick on the weekend. All of a sudden, he’s now scored 22 goals in 26 games this season, not too bad.
In conclusion, Cristiano Ronaldo is a man that always delivers when the lights are at their brightest. And if it comes down to a showdown of individual brilliance between Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo, there’ll only be one winner.
