Playing for 90
Fansided

What are Real Madrid’s chances of winning the Champions League?

By Keith Lisenbee

MADRID, SPAIN - JULY 16: Sergio Ramos the Madrid captain lifts the La Liga trophy during the Liga match between Real Madrid CF and Villarreal CF at Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano on July 16, 2020 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
MADRID, SPAIN - JULY 16: Sergio Ramos the Madrid captain lifts the La Liga trophy during the Liga match between Real Madrid CF and Villarreal CF at Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano on July 16, 2020 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 3
Next
Real Madrid
Marcelo of Real Madrid (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images) /

Real Madrid’s back is against the wall in their second leg tie with Manchester City.

If the question is, can Los Blancos win their 14th European trophy, then the answer would be yes they can.

However, it’s a long-shot. A Gareth Bale drive from the first tee style long shot.

More from Playing for 90

Per 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

He will do the same in the second leg even without the services of Sergio Ramos, who inexplicably got a red card in the first leg.

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.

Prediction: Real Madrid 2, Manchester City 0.

Home/Real Madrid