Champions League
Three reasons Real Madrid wins Champions League again
Madrid, Spain – A lot has been said about Real Madrid’s wins and struggles in certain matches. However, I have identified three reasons why Real Madrid will win the Champions League final, once again.
And it really doesn’t matter that they are playing against Liverpool who brings Mohamed Salah. Although everything seems to balance in Liverpool’s favor, Los Blancos have a hard task at hand when they clash against Barcelona this Sunday. Not only that, they have to take on Sevilla, Celta Vigo, and Villarreal, all fighting for European slots in the last four La Liga weeks. Liverpool will only have to play against Chelsea, and let’s face it, this Blues team is not what it used to be, and Brighton and Hove Albion before the finals. All in all, the English side will have two fewer fixtures and one extra week of rest.
In addition to this, who doubts the phenomenal job that Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has done with this team. While he hasn’t had much luck in the domestic league, he certainly has replicated what he did at Borussia Dortmund. In all competitions, the Reds have scored 130 goals this season, 46 of those have come in Champions. That is remarkable.
Nevertheless, the signing of Virgil van Dijk gave this team the much needed coverage on the defensive line. The Dutchman became the most expensive center-back in history when Liverpool signed him for 85 million Euros in January.
And who can forget Liverpool’s front line lead by Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane. Salah’s season is merited to a Balon d’Or, and will probably be among the finalist along with Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi. MoMo has scored 31 Premiere League goals and 43 in all competitions. Not to say the least, he has been rumored to a jump to La Liga to none other than Real Madrid.
But, enough about the Merseyside club and let’s give you the reasons Real Madrid will win despite all described above.
Reason 1: Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo is a beast. Just let this sink for a moment, Ronaldo has scored 120 goals in Champions League alone. He is the only player to have scored in three UEFA Champions League finals. He is also the only player to have scored in all six games in a UEFA Champions League group. Ronaldo is also Real Madrid’s All-Time Scorer with 448 goals, per UEFA.com.
Despite being 33 years of age, Ronaldo has reinvented himself while being physically and mentally prepared. His great genes, freakish work ethic and dedication to his health is what separates him from other athletes. Just think about the many times you have heard in the last three seasons how Ronaldo will start decaying, retirement is coming, or he is past his prime. But no, he keeps coming back for more and far from being done.
Reason 2: Luck of a Champion
Yes, Real Madrid have been lucky in some games. Against Paris Saint-Germain, the French club was unable to count with Neymar due to an injury. They also played with one less man on the pitch in the second leg of the fixture when Marco Verratti was sent off. And the referee called back an Edinson Cavani goal. However, Kylian Mbappe and Cavani weren’t able to pick up the slack. Real Madrid squashed the first-positioned club in France in a 2-5 aggregate in favor of Los Blancos.
In the quarter-finals they faced Juventus, a club that had been in two of the last three Champions League finals. La Vecchia Signora had the longest home unbeaten runs until Madrid came and beat them 1-3. And yes, at Santiago Bernabeu Juventus showed resiliency and an unlucky penalty was called on the 90th minute of the match and Real Madrid went on to the next round. Despite this, Zinedine Zidane’s lineup for these matches was far from stellar, keeping Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Toni Kross on the bench.
In the semifinals they matched against Bayern Munich. Bayern has won eight of the last nine Bundesliga championships. However, the Bavaros, like PSG, had several important injuries with Arturo Vidal, Arjen Robben, David Alaba, Manuel Neuer, Kingsley Coman, Jerome Boateng and Javi Martinez. But Real Madrid suffered the absence of Isco Alarcon and Dani Carvajal. Of course, controversial calls weren’t made in favor of Bayern but Real Madrid came on top in a 4-3 effort.
The perceived good fortune is not always fortune, perhaps there is more.
Reason 3: This is Real Madrid y Nada Mas
But this rhetoric solves itself in one phrase: “Hala Madrid Real Madrid y Nada Mas”. The reality is that this competition is Real Madrid’s competition, they are the current Champions and have established that in the last two seasons. No other team has dominated this competition as Real Madrid has done. This is the mysticism of Real Madrid. That eagerness to win, the heart all players put into this competition, and soccer warriors willing to give it all for the crest on their heart. This club was capable of this back in the 50s and they are capable of repeating history once again.
Hala Madrid y Nada Mas!
