“We are Real Madrid,” Marcelo said boldly after Real Madrid had – just – held off Juventus’s fightback in the quarter-final. The reference was clear: they were not Barcelona, not the sort of team to go giving away three-goals leads as their great rivals had the previous night, not the sort of side who countenanced failure. Whether that is arrogance or a necessary mindset for winning probably depends on perspective, but what is true of that Madrid is that their most obvious quality is simply that they win. Inexplicably at times, but remorselessly.
Madrid are only the fourth side in history to have been European champions three times in a row. Only they themselves, between 1956 and 1960, have had a run of sustained success better than the four Champions Leagues they have won in the past five years. That suggests they are one of the greatest teams in history and yet it really doesn’t feel like it.
Written by Jonathan Wilson at the Olimpiyskiy Stadium
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2018/may/27/real-madrid-truly-great-champions-league-liverpool under the title “Real Madrid win with a vital ruthlessness but are they truly great? | Jonathan Wilson”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
