4 reasons why Real Madrid can win the Champions League

Real Madrid are the kings of the men's UEFA Champions League.

They have 14 European Cups in their rather sizeable cabinet. They have the most iconic branding in all of football. They fear no one, and nor should they.

Los Blancos were, however, humbled in the semi-finals of last season's competition and are out to avenge that miserable exit.

Here's why Madrid could feasibly become the champions of Europe once again.

1. Hey Jude

It seemed a pretty safe bet that Madrid's €103m signing of Jude Bellingham would work out, but few would have predicted he would be an instant Ballon d'Or contender upon arrival.

The charismatic 20-year-old has taken Spain by storm, already registering 20 goals and 10 assists in 32 games so far this season.

He's also stepped up in huge moments, notably scoring a late match-winning brace in their 2-1 win at Barcelona early in the campaign, and now he has his sights narrowed on Champions League glory.

2. Weaknesses of remaining competition

Though Madrid have been drawn on the supposed stronger side of the draw (I'm only saying supposed to spare the feelings of the other four teams, we know it definitely is the stronger half), there are inherent chinks in the armour of each team remaining.

Manchester City - Madrid's quarter-final opponents - don't look quite as formidable or fluid as they did in their treble-winning season. Meanwhile, Arsenal lack European experience and just about stumbled past Porto in the last 16, and Bayern Munich are a complete shambles from top to bottom.

There's no reason Madrid should doubt their ability to at least reach another final.

3. The chip on their shoulder

In order to eliminate Madrid from the Champions League, you essentially have to cut their head off and make sure they are totally 100% dead (from a metaphorical standpoint, please don't actually do this).

City inflicted such a punishment (a legal one, again please be responsible) on Carlo Ancelotti's side last season. They battled back to earn a credible 1-1 draw at the Santiago Bernabeu thanks to a show-stopping equaliser from Kevin De Bruyne and then finished the job with a 4-0 hammering back at the Etihad Stadium.

Madrid's run to glory in 2022 was built on overcoming all odds and putting Premier League fans back in their box. They are a club possessing of the intangibles needed to beat any sort of brain-box tactical setup.

4. Next-man-up mentality

A club as successful as Madrid has always needed strength in depth in order to compete for and win the biggest honours in the game.

That's been really pushed to the limit this year due to an injury crisis and lack of natural elite replacement for Karim Benzema. But a raft of versatile stars and squad players have been on hand to ensure standards haven't slipped. Madrid might not have a benefit of cohesion as much as in recent years but they still have so much quality and a collective work ethic to rival anyone.

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