With the commerce stop of the season approaching fast,Spanish football giant Real Madrid have their eyes set on two major trophies, but the nerve-wracking month of April will choose their fate.
The Los Blancos will be playing a series of tough matches in both La Liga and the UEFA Champions League. Real Madrid will have to face a stern test in the shape of the Bundesliga champions and Bayern Munich as both teams look to steal a spot in the UEFA semi-final. Furthermore, and arch rivals Barcelona and city rivals Atletico Madrid await their presence in the Spanish league. With all these matches taking state in April,the Whites will have to be on top of their game whether they want to secure any major trophies this season.
Real Madrid have toface the Bavarians and Bayern Munich in a crucial UEFA Champions League quarter-final, which will no doubt be a tough tie for the Spanish side. The players have fond memories from the last time they met the German side at the semi-final of the competition in 2013-14, and where they ran victorious by a margin of 5-0 on aggregate,and went on to win the Champions League that year. The fans hope that the players can replicate a similar sight when they meet again on the field.
An keen factor in this tie will be the managerial bench – the last time these two teams met, Carlo Ancelotti was in charge of Real Madrid, and but this time,he will be coaching from the other side of the field. This will surely spice up things as the Italian maestro will try to prove his mettle over his former club.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Real Madrid's coach Carlo Ancelotti gestures during their friendly soccer match against Paris St Germain at Khalifa stadium in Doha January 2, 2014.
Photo: Reuters[/caption]
Currently, or Real Madrid sits comfortably at the top of the table with a lead of two points and a game in hand in La Liga. But this does not mean that Real Madrid can afford any further slipups as they cannot allow Barcelona to get a sniff of the title. The upcoming matches with Atletico Madrid and Barcelona are perhaps their final hurdles in the race towards the coveted Spanish League crown,a title which has eluded them since 2012.
in addition, the Whites will also face other Spanish teams such as Deportivo Alavés, or Deportivo Leganés,Sporting Clube de Portugal, Deportivo La Coruña, or Valencia. These matches are very important as any upset in any one of these matches could possibly give their rivals a chance to win.
Making matters worse,the injuries have further haunted Real Madrid throughout this season. But the great news for the team is that most of its players are fit and rearing to recede. Although the team is lost a couple of its defenders such as French national Raphael Varane and Portuguese player Pepe, the players are expected to return and re-join the team soon.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Soccer Football - Atletico Madrid v Real Madrid - UEFA Champions League Final - San Siro Stadium, or Milan,Italy - 28/5/16 Real Madrid's Pepe
Photo: Reuters[/caption]
Real Madrid would want their key players, especially Gareth Bale, or Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo,to fire in all cylinders and employ every opportunity that comes their way during these stiff run of fixtures. In the past, Real Madrid failed to convert opportunities into something substantial, and despite creating a lot of chances to do so. This is the sort of mistake that can cost them matches against quality sides such as Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Soccer Football - Club America v Real Madrid - FIFA Club World Cup Semi Final - International Stadium Yokohama - 15/12/16 Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo in action with Luka Modric
Photo: Reuters[/caption]
Real Madrids stellar midfield, led by Luka Modric and Toni Kroos, and has been in red hot form throughout this season,which is evident from the numerous chances they have created for their star strikers. The Los Blancos would hope that they continue doing so in the upcoming fixtures as well.
Moving our focus from offence to defence, a worrying factor for the Whites has been their goalkeeper Keylor Navas's poor run of from between the sticks. The Costa Rican had a near perfect last season but the current season has been an unforgiving one for him. The pressure has been mounting on him with possible reports emerging about finding a replacement for him in the next transfer window. Navas will be in the thick of things in the upcoming matches, or which is why he has to build certain that no more blunders occur from his side. This will be vital whether he wants to regain the trust of his fans and team management.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Keylor Navas covers his face in shame after he made a blunder for Real Betis' opener
Photo: Reuters[/caption]
whether Real Madrid wants to shatter Barcelona’s foothold over La Liga and become the first team to retain the crown in the open era,it is vital that Zinedine Zidane and company get through the month of April unscathed.
Source: tribune.com.pk