3. They're A One-Man Team
Earlier this week, we published an article claiming that Real Madrid's starting XI for tomorrow's encounter
had been leaked. The starting line-up was:
Diego Lopez, Alvaro Arbeloa, Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Fabio Coentrao, Xabi Alonso, Sami Khedira, Angel di Maria, Mesut Ozil, Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema
Looking at that starting XI, there's really very little there to keep Ferguson up at night. Diego Lopez is standing in for the injured Iker Casillas who recently
broke his hand, and the reserve goalkeeper has only made three appearances for Real this season. Defender lvaro Arbeloa is 30 and not the force of old while Karim Benzema can blow hot and cold. Real's midfield is also relatively youthful and inexperienced - di Maria and Mesut Ozil are only 24 and haven't got the experience of playing at this top level of European football that veterans Michael Carrick, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs do. Of course, there is a certain Cristiano Ronaldo to factor into the equation. The Portuguese goal-poacher racked up a hat-trick as Real warmed up for tomorrow's encounter by blasting Sevilla in a 4-1 rout, but if the former Man United ace has a poor day at the office, so do Real Madrid. They are relying on his goals to see them through this two-legged tie and he doesn't always deliver. Does anyone else recall him going walk-about during the big games and putting in anonymous performances when it counts the most? Don't forget that penalty miss in the 2008 Champions League final that, but for a slip by John Terry, would have cost United the Champions League crown.