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#2 They have a favorable UCL draw
Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Juventus, Atletico Madrid. These four teams have all made it to a Champions League final in the last six seasons and were among the pre-season favorites to make it all the way to the latter knockout rounds this term.
However, all four teams have been paired with themselves, meaning that two of them must be eliminated at the round-of-16 stage.
By contrast, Real Madrid will come up against Ajax who, for all of their pedigree and illustrious past, have not exactly been the strongest of teams in recent years and this is a fixture which Real Madrid would be expected to win with ease and progress to the quarterfinals.
With Real Madrid’s progress to the quarterfinals all but guaranteed and with two fewer contenders to worry about, the pathway to winning a fourth consecutive Champions League crown is looking more favorable for Real Madrid.
