Watching Real Madrid over the last few seasons has been a fraught experience. The team has been a bundle of nerves, the football has veered from the tedious to the heart-stopping, and the results have been totally unpredictable.
But things have changed this season at the Bernabeu. There is a pattern, a logic, to the way Real are playing and for the first time in four years they look as though they could be serious challengers for the Champions League once again.
Certainly it’s hard to imagine anyone relishing the thought of getting them in the draw for the first knockout round on Friday*.
It’s true that Lazio’s distinctly un-Italian defending gave Real a generous helping hand in their last Group game, but make no mistake, Bernd Schuster’s team were deeply impressive as they tore the Serie A side apart in the first half.
Even taking account of the hype of the Madrid-based press, Raul is looking sharp this season, Robinho is finally living up to his billing and Van Nistelrooy remains one of the best finishers in the game.
Schuster has plenty of options in midfield, with the inconsistent and occasionally brilliant Guti on hand when needed, the lively Wesley Sneijder showing glimpses of his talent and Julio Baptista staking his claim to a place with some powerful performance in recent games.
At the back new signing Pepe looks to have been a very useful, if extremely expensive, signing.
Some of the credit must go to Fabio Capello for the psychological work he did on the players last season, but Schuster seems to have taken it a step further and developed a team that is playing some excellent football.
Real are top of the Primera Liga, have won all 10 of their home matches this season and have three months to prepare for their assault on the trophy they really prize.
Could this be the year they land that elusive 10th European Cup? Maybe, maybe not, but Liverpool, Arsenal, Roma and the rest of the second-placed teams from the group stage would surely rather avoid testing their strength this early in the competition.
PHOTO: Robinho celebrates after scoring for Real against Lazio during their Champions League Group C match at the Bernabeu, Madrid, December 11, 2007. REUTERS/Sergio Perez
* We’ll have full coverage of the draw, including reaction, on Friday from 1200 CET at our main Web site.
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4 comments so far
“Roma wasnt build in one day…” Capello is the one who build the basic fundamental of Madrid team, today..
2007, bring out the champions trophy ? i doubt it. Maybe next year. Semifinal will be the best result that can be achieve by Los Merengues. With many good strikers, Schuster has one more homework, the mess of defenders.
Pepe is overrated, while Metzelder seem busy with his injury. Now only left, Cannavaro with his pride passing through the golden age accompany by Ramos, the multipurpose defender.
So, what a pity for Casillas, who just bring on all problems on his shoulder
- Posted by Andy Gultomi don’t think madrid is the only team to watch. when it comes to the knockout stage of champions league, every team has the same chances.
- Posted by european football blogIt’s going to be a tough draw for virtually all the second placed teams. liverpool, for one, really painted themselves into a corner by only finishing second. the best they can hope for is probably roma but they won’t fancy playing them either.
- Posted by Londoni am a big real madrid fan, i agree that capello laid the foundations last year, just as he did in 1997. i cant see us winning the champions league this year, next year is more likely. i think we need someone like kaka or diego in our team, and then we could be a serious threat. so hopefully ac milan will not make it to the champions league next year and roll on kaka to madrid
- Posted by saier