Real Madrid and Jose Mourinho have a chance of doing something special this season. Upstaging Barcelona in both the league and the Champions League while setting records as a team, while the Special one has a chance of becoming the first manager to win the Champions League with three different clubs. Talking and whining about unimportant things can just derail the team from it’s incredible path.
The 1-1 draw at home against Malaga shouldn’t cause any alarms for Real or stip up too much hope for Barcelona. The Nou Camp residents have remained determined in their proclamations about not being able to catch up with Real Madrid. Even if they beat Real in the next Clasico, assuming both teams don’t drop anymore points, it’ll be a 5 point chase. Hard to see Real stumbling three times more than Barcelona in the 11 remaining matches.
Image: Source
It’s simple math. Real Madrid have won 23 of their 27 league matches. That’s just over 85%. That means they are on pace to win at least nine more before the final gong is heard. Not enough for Barcelona, even if they win out for the rest of the season, although I don’t believe they will. They’re not consistent enough this season.
Mourinho chose to say it’s no big deal, but last out at the referees. Talking about deserving two penalties. There was no foul on Cristiano Ronaldo, but he was right about Marcelo being fouled just inside the box. Uncharacteristically, Real players didn’t make too much of a fuss about it. Uncharacteristically, they actually lost a point at home to a team not called Barcelona for the first time this season. May I remind you they’ve won 7 of their 8 matches in the Champions League, drawing on a frozen Moscow pitch with an injury time goal?
There’s no need to open the argument about who got screwed over more times this season by the referees. This year it’s Barcelona, but they’ve enjoyed plenty of graces from the men who don’t blow whistles over the past few years. The level of refereeing and the need for replay assistance has nothing to do with the fact that Real Madrid have simply been the better team more consistently than Pep Guardiola’s men.
Real Madrid got a comfortable draw for the Champions League quarter final but the Semi Final, with Bayern Munich probably lurking in the final four, couldn’t have been harder. Of course there’s Barcelona, but it’s the final most people want anyway, between the best two teams in Europe. Bayern are hitting incredible scoring form (20 goals in the last 3 matches) right on time. Mourinho needs to take care his team doesn’t start slipping just when the promise land is so near.