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#3 Real Madrid
No matter how bad they might be performing, how good the opposition is or how many key players they've lost in the transfer window, Real Madrid just can't be stopped from hitting top form in the Champions League, year after year. This squad somehow manages to understand how knockout competition functions and hit top form just when it matters the most and somehow find a way to advance, and win.
After winning THREE Champions League in a row, Madrid managed to grab a 2-1 away win away to Ajax even after the Amsterdam side clearly outplayed the European Champions throughout the 90 minutes.
Although, one key factor out of the equation for the defending champions would be Cristiano Ronaldo's influence in the knockout stages. The Portuguese forward somehow finds a way to get himself a goal or two every time he features in a UEFA Champions League knockout match, and due to this reason only, Real Madrid aren't the clear favorites this time out, but still, they are expected to put up a solid contest for the title.
Real's ambitions of their fourth-straight CL title will face a tough challenge next month when a spirited young Ajax comes to Madrid to get some blood for the hard luck they had a few weeks ago in Amsterdam.
