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Real Madrid and The UEFA Champions League: Front-Runners for the Title

Oh the UEFA Champions League. Last year, Chelsea FC won it. This year, I believe the title is going to Real Madrid.

Real Madrid is a strong team with exceptional players. They have all of the qualities that make their team a major threat to other clubs.

In my opinion, the Champions League is something Real Madrid should focus on at this point in time. The club should hold more importance to winning the Champions League because it is very unlikely they will win the league title. Real Madrid currently sit third on the leader board (falling below both Atletico Madrid and Barcelona) which means the title for La Liga is pretty much out of their hands. With Barcelona currently dominating La Liga, the UCL trophy could be Real Madrid’s prized possession this season.

If Real Madrid really put their heart and soul into this competition, I think they can definitely be one of the top contenders to win this year.

However, winning the Champions League is easier said than done. Their players obviously have the talent and the passion, but so do the other teams. With strong contenders like Juventus, Barcelona, Paris Saint Germain, and Borussia Dortmund (to name a few) it obviously won’t come easy.

Judging from what I saw during the Manchester United-Real Madrid match, I believe Real Madrid will have to work very hard down the road. Not that they were bad. Real Madrid were constantly pressing the ball and had several great attempts, but things were just not working out for them. There were moments where I had to hold my breath from all of those missed chances. In my opinion, Real Madrid were the stronger side but made errors in the process of scoring goals.

Both sides had put up a great fight and showed how much they wanted a win for their respective clubs. Now that Real Madrid will be facing Manchester United at Old Trafford during the second leg, you have to wonder what the outcome will be.

Here are a couple of things (tactically-speaking) that I hope Real Madrid can do during the second leg:

• Secure the back-line: The back-line has to be on their A-game. Manchester United were effective with their set pieces and counters. Most of the errors from the back-line came from not marking players properly.
• Pick attacking wisely: Not trying to call Benzema out but I think everyone can agree that he didn’t perform as well as we would have liked. Mourinho has to be cautious with who he picks in the front. If a player doesn‘t seem to be doing his best, try another player on the pitch.

Ultimately, the winning team of the UCL will be based upon their physical (and mental) abilities, luck, and passion.

Real Madrid will earn the title of the Champions of Europe for 2013. Just wait.

(Image via Realmadrid.com)