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When it comes to the UEFA Champions League, Real Madrid are a force to reckon with. They have won the competition a staggering 13 times, and what is more astonishing is the fact that the 11th, 12th and the 13th ones have come in consecutive seasons. No other team has achieved the feat of winning three consecutive finals in European competitions. The Club of the Century have justified the tag given to them.
The undisputed kings of Europe have been accused of having things very easy when they faced AS Roma, Wolfsburg and Manchester City in the 2015-16 season of UCL. But next year, they were able to outperform Napoli, Bayern Munich and city rivals Atletico Madrid to meet Juventus in Finals. This quieted all the people questioning their credibility. The 2018 triumph was even more mesmerizing, when they began their season in a miserable way, but eventually found their stride to create history.
This season has begun in spectacular fashion for the Los Blancos, who managed to completely outplay AS Roma on their home turf, Estadio Santiago Bernabeu. The scoreline read 3-0 in favour of the Whites at the final whistle. Both the teams played a clean match and the match was packed with action from the word go!
Isco began the scoring for Real Madrid with a superbly placed free-kick from a dangerous spot. Bale continued his amazing form with a trademark blitzing run and finish with the left foot. The surprise of the match was the spectacular goal scored by the new Real Madrid No. 7 Mariano Diaz from outside the box. He had nothing short of a dreamy return to his former club.
The scoreline doesn't do justice to the quality of football Real played. Asensio's spectacular turn inside the box, the crispness of Kroos's and Modric's passes and the cover given by Casemiro were all spot on. The defense looked solid and Keylor Navas had a good game.
This Real Madrid side has looked like a completely different team from last season in terms of gameplay. The tactics look like possession mixed with counter attacking freedom. The hole that was created by the departure of Ronaldo and Zidane in the hearts of Madridistas seems to have healed and the uncertainty surrounding the club's future seems to have gone.
The team is playing amazing football in each department. The squad is very balanced in terms of experience and quality.
There is something about the UEFA Champions League that lights fire into the morale of this team. This season has begun on the same note for them. The only 'if' in this discussion is the question : Will Madrid perform like this against big guns like Barcelona and Bayern Munich? The Santiago Bernabeu based club lost to Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Supercup and were not able to overcome Athletic Bilbao in LaLiga last weekend.
It can be argued that the team is still adjusting to Lopetegui's tactics. Though AS Roma are not a weak team, they certainly are not on the level of Bayern Munich, FC Barcelona and Juventus. We will know as early as October if this team has what it takes to overcome biggies when they will face FC Barcelona in LaLiga.
We will have to wait and see how this season unfolds!
