The early exit from the Champions League would provoke a search for Real Madrid in the style of Barcelona

His team had come out in the previous round, but that didn’t stop Real Madrid fans from reveling in the humiliation of their historic rivals in Lisbon. At least those of Zinedine Zidane maintained their dignity when they left the Champions League in the round of 16 at Manchester City. There was no dignity in the way Barcelona conceded eight to Bayern Munich in a quarter-final loss that shook the Catalan club to the core.

A summer of introspection followed, with political turmoil at the Camp Nou that came close to ousting Lionel Messi from Barcelona. The 8-2 loss to Bayern Munich broke something in the psyche of the Catalans as a club, forcing Barça officials to acknowledge the need for change, even if they have yet to decide how to implement that change.

Four months later, Real Madrid is on the verge of its own humiliation in the Champions League. His fate is yet to be confirmed, but the loss to Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday means Zidane’s men face an early exit from the competition. Real Madrid now need a result from Inter against Borussia Monchengladbach, as well as a win over the Bundesliga team next week, to save their last 16th place.

Real Madrid had never stopped leaving the group stage of the Champions League. This is, after all, the competition that defines them as a club, winning more European Cups than anyone else. While his embarrassment has not been as acute as that of Barcelona in Lisbon in August, not leaving Group B would provoke a similar soul-searching.

This season has been difficult for Los Blancos. The defeat in Ukraine means Real Madrid have won just one of their last five games in all competitions, and a home loss to Alavés on Saturday already sharpened the feathers of the notoriously cutting Madrid press. Zidane faced doubts even before the loss to Shakhtar Donetsk.

If this season is well prepared for players like Atlético de Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur, the teams that imagine themselves in a war of attrition like most title races in Europe are due to the unique circumstances of this season. season, it is possible that Real Madrid is on the change side of that situation.

Zidane took out many of his great hitters against Shakhtar Donetsk, with Karim Benzema, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric starting, but there was a lethargy in Real Madrid’s performance. Could it be that the short season is hampering Real Madrid more than most, with Zidane still dependent on a core of aging players?

Like Barcelona, ​​Real Madrid’s spotty transfer history in recent years has only added to its problems. Over £ 450 million has been spent on new players in the last two years, but watching Los Blancos against Shakhtar Donetsk it was difficult to pinpoint where that money had made a difference on the field.

Eden Hazard was hired to be Real Madrid’s new undercard star, but he has played only 15 games in the last 12 months, and was unable to play 90 minutes in any of these games. Luka Jovic was bought for £ 56 million as Benzema’s long-term successor, but the Serbian forward has played just 208 minutes so far this season.

Many at Real Madrid deny the stagnation that has occurred at the club. Just a few months ago, Zidane’s men were crowned champions of Spain, giving the impression that an organization was heading in the right direction, but that success only masked a series of problems. However, those problems are becoming impossible to ignore. An early exit from the Champions League would be Real Madrid’s own Lisbon.