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#1 Zizou’s charm
The most important reason why Los Blancos will successfully be able to defend their La Liga crown - Zinedine Zidane. Ever since the French maestro has taken over the reins at the Spanish capital, it has been smooth sailing for the Whites.
In his season-and-a-half, he has already won six titles – including two consecutive Champions Leagues – and only barely missed out on La Liga in the 2015/16 season.
The former Juventus midfielder was labelled a manager who rode on luck rather than tactical acumen, but he has quashed those claims. Real’s shift to a 4-3-1-2 late last season boosted their efforts to retain the Champions League and win the much-coveted league title.
Even against Manchester United in their recent encounter, Zidane employed a 4-3-1-2 with Benzema dropping back to become the trequartista beside Isco, making it a 4-3-2-1. This move actually resulted in the Spaniard scoring Real Madrid’s second – and winning – goal of the night.
When the going gets tough, the tough get going. The Merengues’ mid-season mini-slump at the turn of the year forced Zidane to rethink his strategy and he adapted so well that the club ended up with two titles. Three now.
Expect him to lift Real to new heights while witnessing the game from the touchline.
