Last chance for silverware: Real look towards Europe to salvage season

Los Blancos take on Roma at Bernabeu in last-16 second leg with 2-0 away win in hand

MADRID: Real Madrid return to Champions League action with the visit of Roma on Tuesday needing to book their place in their quarter-finals to keep a hugely disappointing season alive.

A place in the last eight for a sixth consecutive season is well within the reach of Zinedine Zidane’s men with a comfortable 2-0 first-leg lead to rely on.

Yet, Madrid will have memories of this stage of the competition 12 months ago when Schalke had the 10-time champions clinging on in the final stages as the Germans won 4-3 at the Bernabeu.

Real’s home form this season has shown in equal measure the talent and frailties prevalent in their star-studded squad.



Madrid’s forlorn challenge for the Spanish title owes much to defeats to rivals Barcelona and Atletico Madrid at the Bernabeu.

Yet, they have won 15 and drawn one of their other 16 home games, scoring 69 goals in the process.

Trailing Barca by 12 points with just 10 Liga games to play and having been turfed out of the Copa del Rey after just one game for fielding an ineligible player, Madrid’s sole focus has turned to winning an 11th European Cup.

And not without reason. On the last seven times Madrid were crowned kings of Europe, they failed to win the league domestically.

“We are still in the Champions League. It is a competition we aspire to win and it is not a coincidence that Real is the team that have won the most European Cups,” said Cristiano Ronaldo. “Nothing is lost and we are going to continue working to achieve great things at the end of the season.”

Whether Madrid can achieve great things in the Champions League come Milan on May 28 will depend much on Ronaldo and could play a major role in the three-time World Player of the Year’s future at the club.



Ronaldo’s outburst that Real “would be top” of the league if his teammates matched his standards didn’t sit well in the Madrid dressing room or in the stands.

Indeed, the Portuguese was even jeered by sections of the Real support before firing four goals in 28 minutes during Saturday’s 7-1 thrashing of Celta Vigo.

At 31, Real are also well aware this summer may be their last chance to recoup the near €100 million they paid Manchester United for his services seven years ago.

Ronaldo’s four-goal haul against Celta took his tally to 39 in 35 games this season. Yet, his record when it matters most has been questioned during the campaign as he has failed to net against any of the top five in La Liga.

“He is capable of scoring four goals and there are very few people capable of doing that. That is why he is unique,” said Zidane in defence of his star man.



Thankfully for the Frenchman, Ronaldo has been on fire in Europe. His 12 in seven games in this season’s Champions League, including the vital opener in the Italian capital three weeks ago, has him well on course to beat the record 17 he hit to deliver Madrid their longed-for 10th European Cup two years ago.

Wolfsburg fret over Draxler fitness

Wolfsburg are waiting on the fitness of goal-scoring Germany midfielder Julian Draxler for their last-16, second leg clash at home to Gent.

Draxler netted twice in Wolfsburg’s 3-2 win in Belgium in the first leg and scored in both of the German Cup holders Bundesliga wins over Hanover 96 and Borussia Monchengladbach last week.

But having netted the opener in Saturday’s 2-1 win over Gladbach, Draxler picked up a knee ligament injury, but is desperate to help Wolfsburg try and reach the quarter-finals in Europe for the first time in the club’s history.

“It should be ok by Tuesday,” said the 22-year-old who has made 16 appearances for Germany and was part of the 2014 World Cup-winning squad. “I mean, on Tuesday we are playing in the Champions League. Your legs run by themselves on occasions like that. This is a great opportunity to make history for the club.” 

Published in The Express Tribune, March 8^th, 2016.

Like Sports on Facebook, follow @ETribuneSports on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.