Real Madrid head coach Zinedine Zidane (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
Real Madrid has sealed their 34th La Liga trophy. Now Los Blancos set their sights on the biggest prize of them all, the Champions League.
The scene on Real Madrid’s practice stadium, the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano was odd on many levels. There the club in the royal all-white kits lifted the La Liga champions trophy, and confetti flew everywhere, but it was not at the Bernabeu, and Gareth Bale celebrated like an awkward middle school kid at his first dance.
It is a sign of the times that trophy celebrations are held in empty stadiums, and there will be many more to come.
It is also a sign of where the new La Liga champions are within their ranks to see the sight of the golf-loving Welsh international pretending to know the celebratory dances.
However, it was the scene of the team lifting their coach, Zinédine Zidane, and tossing him into the air in his well-cut European black suit that told the real story.
Real Madrid is his team. His team fights for him and the badge.
This campaign has been Zidane’s best as manager of arguably the best football club in the world.
Now, Los Blancos will focus on the Champions League trophy. A prize that they have won more times than any other. I imagine if they win it, it may be sweeter than any that has come before it.
Can they do it?
Gareth Bale</a> celebrated like an awkward middle school kid at his first dance.</p>
<p>It is a sign of the times that trophy celebrations are held in empty stadiums, and there will be many more to come.</p>
<p>It is also a sign of where the new <em>La Liga</em> champions are within their ranks to see the sight of the golf-loving Welsh international pretending to know the celebratory dances.</p>
<p>However, it was the scene of the team lifting their coach, Zinédine Zidane, and tossing him into the air in his well-cut European black suit that told the real story.</p>
<p>Real Madrid is his team. His team fights for him and the badge.</p>
<p>This campaign has been Zidane’s best as manager of arguably the best football club in the world.</p>
<p>Now, <em>Los Blancos</em> will focus on the Champions League trophy. A prize that they have won more times than any other. I imagine if they win it, it may be sweeter than any that has come before it.</p>
<p>Can they do it?</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #0" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/07/21/real-madrid-chances-win-champions-league/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Real Madrid is against the wall </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-483212 size-full" src=https://playingfor90.com/2020/07/21/real-madrid-chances-win-champions-league/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1029,w_1600/https%3A%2F%2Fplayingfor90.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2020%2F07%2F1256695642.jpeg" alt="Real Madrid" width="1600" height="1029" srcset="https://playingfor90.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2020/07/1256695642.jpeg 1600w, https://playingfor90.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2020/07/1256695642-768x494.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Marcelo of Real Madrid (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Real Madrid’s back is against the wall in their second leg tie with Manchester City.</h2>
<p>If the question is, <strong>can</strong> <em>Los Blancos</em> win their 14th European trophy, then the answer would be yes they can.</p>
<p>However, it’s a long-shot. A Gareth Bale drive from the first tee style long shot.</p>
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<p>Per <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/07/21/real-madrid-chances-win-champions-league/"https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/soccer-predictions/champions-league/?ex_cid=rrpromo%22>FiveThirtyEight.com, Real have a 2% chance at winning the trophy. One reason for these terrible odds is the fact that they are already down 2-1 to Man City in the Round of 16 entering the 2nd leg.</p>
<p>FiveThirtyEight.com gives Zidane’s club only an 11% chance at getting past Pep Guardiola’s City, who have a chip on their shoulder as big as a Russian tank in Siberia.</p>
<p>In the first leg in Madrid, Pep almost outthought the stadium rolling out in a 4-4-1-1 formation with Bernardo Silva as a striker with Kevin De Bruyne as the second striker. In the first half, City’s offense was stuck in neutral, leading to a slight tinkering at halftime.</p>
<p>Real’s Isco scored in the 60th minute, but Gabriel Jesus knocked in the equalizer in 78th, and a penalty converted by De Bruyne sealed what appeared to be an insurmountable lead in the tie.</p>
<p>The 2nd greatest attribute that Zinédine Zidane possesses is his ability to be pragmatic. He sets up his line-ups, formations, tactics, and substitutions in the best process possible to just win the match.</p>
<p>This campaign, a full one without having a universal superstar and ten other dudes, the Frenchman has been masterful at putting the pieces in the right place.</p>
<p>He will do the same in the second leg even without the services of <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/07/21/real-madrid-chances-win-champions-league/"https://fbref.com/en/players/08511d65/Sergio-Ramos">Sergio Ramos</a>, who inexplicably got a red card in the first leg.</p>
<p>Pep Guardiola’s intensity and over-thinking may get the best of him despite his own best intentions. His lack of pragmatism in critical matches for City has cost him dearly all season, and it will again. He knows his defense is leaky and vulnerable to the counter, but he will outsmart only himself.</p>
<p>Prediction: Real Madrid 2, Manchester City 0.</p>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-483213 size-full" src=https://playingfor90.com/2020/07/21/real-madrid-chances-win-champions-league/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fplayingfor90.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2020%2F07%2F1227657248.jpeg" alt="Zidane" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://playingfor90.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2020/07/1227657248.jpeg 3200w, https://playingfor90.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2020/07/1227657248-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Real Madrid’s coach Zinedine Zidane (Photo by GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP via Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Zidane has created his best Real Madrid team this season.</h2>
<p>The winner of the City-Real tie faces the winner between Juventus and Lyon in Lisbon. Lyon holds the 1-0 advantage over the Italian giants going into their second leg in Turin.</p>
<p>Regardless of who takes this match-up, Real has a deeper team with a better coach that should see them through to the semis.</p>
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<p>Earlier in the season, I called Real Madrid the “island of lost toys” as I hinted that they were a gathering of disparate individual “Galacticos 2.0” that could not form into a cohesive team.</p>
<p>I also stated that Zidane was not a good manager who only succeeded at winning European trophies because he had the best team that money could buy and the best player in the world, six-pack abs champion, <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/07/21/real-madrid-chances-win-champions-league/"https://fbref.com/en/players/dea698d9/Cristiano-Ronaldo">Christiano Ronaldo</a>.</p>
<h4>The former Real great in his black suit has proven me wrong.</h4>
<p>Los Blancos indeed have a highly expensive set of players. Per <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/07/21/real-madrid-chances-win-champions-league/"https://www.transfermarkt.com/real-madrid/kader/verein/418">Transfermarkt.com, Real Madrid’s squad value stands at €1.02 billion.</p>
<p>However, Zidane has managed to put all these pieces together through pragmatism, emotional intelligence, and excellent man-management skills to form a championship team.</p>
<p>He has been unequivocal with Gareth Bale and with the media about where the player stands. Zidane has marginalized him (fairly) and also made sure the drama did not negatively impact the club despite all the distractions.</p>
<p>In a recent tight match against Valencia with Real up 1-0, Zidane picked the perfect time for the return of <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/07/21/real-madrid-chances-win-champions-league/"https://fbref.com/en/players/45af8a54/Marco-Asensio">Marco Asensio</a> in the 74th minute, who sealed the game with a goal a minute later. He later added an assist in the 3-0 win.</p>
<p>On the pitch, Real Madrid players stand up for each other, the badge, and their manager. It is a testament to Zidane that he has developed this type of atmosphere amongst this group of players.</p>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="dark" data-text="Talking points & observations as Leganes hold Real Madrid 2-2 on final day" data-url="https://playingfor90.com/2020/07/20/talking-points-leganes-real-madrid-2-2/" data-call-to-action="Next"> <div class="story-link-next"> <a class="story-link-next-btn" style="background: #0" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-next-shortcode" href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/07/21/real-madrid-chances-win-champions-league/"https://playingfor90.com/2020/07/20/talking-points-leganes-real-madrid-2-2/"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> Talking points & observations as Leganes hold Real Madrid 2-2 on final day </a> </div>
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<p>The Spanish champions are the most cohesive. They have been under a pragmatic manager who already has won three Champions Leagues. They have a much better than a 2% chance to win the whole thing.</p><!—pageview_candidate—>">