An unceremonious end to the 2012-13 season indicated that things are not very rosy in the Real Madrid camp. The controversial reign of Jose Mourinho came to an end and as the Portuguese departed the club on mutual consent and went back to London to manage Chelsea. Real Madrid wasted no time in bringing in the largely celebrated Carlo Ancelotti from Paris Saint Germain. ai???Los Blancosai??i?? were also one of the most active teams in the summer transfer window and fresh inclusions were made to an already envious squad. While the arrivals of the Bale, Isco and others were a topic of great interest, the exits of Higuain and Ai??zil raised many questions about Florentino Perezai??i??s decisions. All being said, Real Madrid were tipped to have an exciting end to the season and they certainly seemed to have lived up to the billing.
A few weeks ago one would have expected Real Madrid to have a fair enough chance of achieving something they never have in the past ai??i?? a treble of trophies. However, their last three Liga results tell a different story and with just one game to go, Real Madrid are mathematically and officially out of the domestic league title race. Having already won the Copa Del Rey, the focus is now only on the prestigious Champions League trophy which, if Real Madrid win, will find a place in their trophy cabinet for the record tenth time. ai???Los Blancosai??i?? may or may not be able to beat their fellow rivals Atletico Madrid in the Champions League final. No matter the result, this season will surely be a positive one for the capital club.
Here are the five things that have revived Real Madridai??i??s stature and defined their campaign so far:
1. The Delicate Situation Between the Sticks
2. Solid Defence
A defensive line-up consisting of Arbeloa, Carvajal, Pepe, Ramos, Varane, Coentrao and Marcelo is bound to do well when the situation demands. Ancelottiai??i??s style of play has seen Pepe reach levels never seen in his game before. Along with Sergio Ramos, Pepe has arguably had one of his best seasons in the white stripes. Stand-in captain Sergio Ramos has also had a solid season. Along with some incredible defending displays, the Spaniard has had a great season in terms of goals. The centre-back has scored a total of 6 goals so far this season, two of which have come against the mighty Bayern Munich and one of them was a direct free-kick against Valladolid. Full-backs Carvajal and Marcelo have been featuring regularly in the Real Madrid line-up and have delivered some exciting performances. Arbeloa and Coentrao have also had a good season despite fitness issues. Though Varane has struggled this season with fitness issues and dip in form, the Frenchman is still young and exciting. Varaneai??i??s struggles have rarely damaged Real Madridai??i??s performances.
3. The Midfield Trio
The sale of Ai??zil and the subsequent long-term injury to his national team-mate Khedira raised many doubts about how Real Madrid will cope with the absence of the German duo. But Ancelotti had a solution up his sleeve. Luka Modric and Alonso teamed up and took over the reins in the midfield. They were shortly joined by Di Maria as Ancelotti made significant changes to the formation and helped the team adapt a different and more exciting style of play. The Alonso ai??i?? Modric ai??i?? Di Maria trio completed the midfield jigsaw and we saw the three playing some of the most amazing football of their career. Though sidelined due to poor form and being unable to fit into the playing style, Isco has eventually adapted to the game-play very well and is showing the kind of flair he did at the start of the season.
4. Bale, Benzema and Cristiano
“I think that Bale, Benzema and I have an almost perfect connection, Karim and Gareth are both excellent players. I am feeling very well alongside them. Things are going well and I think that’s important for the club. “
-Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai?? Cristiano Ronaldo told the official UEFA website.
5. A Happy Dressing Room
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