Real Madrid's Jekyll and Hyde season is looking a lot like their 2013-2014 campaign which saw them slide to third domestically. That year they couldn't find their footing in the Spanish league but for some reason unbeknownst to us all, Carlo Ancelotti was able to inspire something out his troops with the world watching. This year is much the same, except the iconic Zinedine Zidane is now playing conductor in his third year with the club.
In 2017-2018 Real Madrid have struggled to find their form against lesser opponents, losing against Espanyol in February and dropping valuable points on several other occasions leaving them little chance to make up the ground from 3rd to 1st. Their play is not commensurate with the expectations raised by the team's transfer kit. Like any zero-sum game, the key players show up on the big stage. Cristiano Ronaldo, Marco Asensio, Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, and Marcelo all saved their best performances for this evening's tilt with German champions Bayern Munich in the Semi-Finals of the Champions League. And yet, their league form leaves a lot to be desired.
Bayern Munich 1-2 Real Madrid
Down by one in the early going, Real was able to equalize with a well-taken hit from just outside the box. Once Real had captured the lead in the 57th minute, they put the game on its axis, playing the ball into less dangerous territory and endlessly giving chase to their opponents. For all their creativity down the middle, Bayern Munich gradually grew tired of restarting in their own half, and looked lifeless as time wore on. They take their lead into the 2nd leg, with the advantage of the Bernabeu's singing section.
