With so much going on this semester, from anchoring to looking for stories to editing to having my own Latin Show on the radio… I am back to the writing board. This time with another opinion piece on Real Madrid. Considering their just decent performance against Atletico Madrid for the first leg of the Champions League, I questioned myself, can we start thinking of the Champions League final already?
Because if so, will Real Madrid have a chance to make it again?
If I’m being bias, I’ll say yes, but if I put the biases aside and analyze their performances…Real Madrid has not been playing their best recently. I’ll be the first person to say, do I believe they’ll make it to the final? Maybe. I’m an optimistic and pessimistic at the same time because we have to be realistic of the way they have been playing which in all honesty I think has been mediocre. I’m not saying that as an offense because I am a huge madridista. But if I’m continuing with the realistic aspect…their simple matches have ended in mediocre ties which in all honesty…I’m not bashing out any teams but considering the way Real Madrid had been playing they should be La Liga leaders with a greater point difference, plus a sure team to make it to the final and as of now…neither of those are true. Also, the loss of Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema, Marcelo and Luka Modric will surely affect Real Madrid in their upcoming second leg of the Champions League. Modric is one of the best midfielders Real Madrid has, Benzema, Bale and Modric are all out for a significant amount of time due to injuries, on the other hand Marcelo is suspended. With that said, Real Madrid does have one advantage…they will be playing at home with their fans which sould make this match that much more interesting. Both teams will look to continue the quest for glory, ultimately…there can only be one. Coach Carlo Ancelotti and company will look to achieve the eleventh…which Coach Diego Simeone just wants to continue creating history for Atletico Madrid, considering how hard he has worked to build the team from the ground up given the limited amount of mainstream players they have. To some extent we can compare Borussia Dortmund of Germany to Atletico Madrid in the sense that both Coach Jurgen Klopp and Coach Simeone have strived to build teams that no one thought would be possible. Both have built teams that make the popular teams tremble and that in itself is pretty admirable. Coach Klopp recently revealed he will be leaving BVB which is kind of sad since he helped build Mario Goetze, Marco Reus, and Robert Lewandowski, the trio that everyone feared. Now without Goetze and Lewandowski, Marco Reus is left alone…not only without closer teammates but without a very special coach too.
Atletico Madrid is a squad that recently has gotten a stronger defense and against mainstream teams has found the ability to stop their counter attacking abilities. I am not going to disrespect them and sa they are a team that does not have potential, they have great potential to defeat Real Madrid if I’m being completely honest. But also, Real Madrid has a very definite squad even if they are missing some key players, they have great substitutes that have made great marks in previous matches. Like Coach Carlo Ancelotti mentioned, he has one of the best squads in the world, from starters to substitutes, the entire Real Madrid team is well built and should withstand it’s opponents. In soccer/football, it’s a different story, you can have the best squad in the world and still lose to a smaller opponent. Not every team wins every match, and that is okay. It all comes down to who is better prepared, physically, emotionally, mentally and tactically. Last but not least, I believe Real Madrid will continue their quest in the Champions because one I want them to, and second, because I know they have the ability to do so if it goes well. Will they win the eleventh? That is pushing my luck a bit, but I do think they have high potential and the teams they have to fear for are Bayern Munich and their number one foe…Barcelona.