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Real Madrid were bestowed with the accolade of being the 'Club of the Century' for the 20th century by FIFA in 2000. Los Blancos have carried their form and have become the most dominant club side in world football in the past half-decade.
The Madrid-based club have won the UEFA Champions League four times in the last five seasons establishing their European dominance and have bagged the FIFA Club World Cup trophy thrice, to mark their dominance over clubs from all around the world. In short, Real Madrid have become the biggest super-giant in club football.
However, recent events have threatened Real's chances of winning the La Liga or retaining their Champions League title.
Here are the five reasons why Real Madrid will not win the Champions League in 2018/19.
#1 The absence of Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo is a player who can walk into any football side on the planet and add a new dimension by helping the team elevate its performances to an altogether new level. He is the all-time leading goalscorer of the UEFA Champions League with 120 goals to his name.
Recently, he signed a four-year deal worth $131 million with Italian champions Juventus, thereby adding much more quality to the already star-studded Juventus side.
Ronaldo scored a club-record 450 goals during his time at Real and his loss would be dearly felt by the team. He adds that extra bit to every team that can win matches. Real Madrid haven't purchased anyone as yet, to fill the void left by his absence. One thing is for sure, Real Madrid will miss the charisma and class of Cristiano Ronaldo.
#2 Absence of a proper striker
Real Madrid's major problem is their forward line. Real are accustomed to playing a 4-3-3 formation which has a central forward and two inside forwards. The BBC era of Bale-Benzema-Cristiano is already a thing of the past.
Karim Benzema has become a shadow of his former self, who used to tear down defences with his relentless vision and goal-scoring prowess. He is not very effective at scoring goals but somehow remains quite capable of creating chances for others to finish.
In Gareth Bale, Real Madrid have one of the costliest players of the planet and maybe, one of the best. Madrid need the 'Tottenham' Bale and not the injury-prone winger, who spends half of the season on the bench nursing his injuries. Hopefully, the departure of Ronaldo will open the gates for the talismanic Welshman to wreak havoc in the opposition defences.
Apart from these two, Real Madrid possess the immensely talented but inexperienced Vinicius Jr. Lucas Vazquez is a really reliable winger and Borja Mayoral completes the list of forwards.
#3 Over-reliance on the midfield
If there is a team, whose midfielders can devastate opposition even if their strikers aren't performing on full throttle, then it has to be Real Madrid. The Los Blancos have one of the finest midfield setups in their team and hence, tend to win matches from losing positions as well.
Luka Modric, the UEFA Player of the Year spearheads the midfield along with Toni Kroos, who was instrumental in Germany's World Cup winning campaign. Apart from these two midfield maestros, Isco Alarcon, who is touted to be the heir to Iniesta and Xavi adds further attacking depth to the team. Marco Asensio is one of the emerging superstars in Europe. Casemiro is the vital pivot of the entire team and adds another dimension to the team, with his performances.
However, the team is very much reliant on the midfield to break down opposing defences and feed the strikers with delicious through balls to score from. If properly marked and spaces are closed down well, the team is crippled and hence, Real Madrid slump to a tasteless draw or maybe a defeat.
Tactically and technically, teams like PSG, Barcelona and Manchester City are much more sound than Real Madrid and hence are favourites to win the competition.
