sport news Harry Kane and Co must smash Real Madrid's aura of invincibility to reach the ... trends now
Up the path past the gloss green pitches of Real Madrid’s training ground at Valdebebas, out by the airport, then through the white doors, up the stairs and there you see it on the wall. A simple but effective mural depicting 14 trophies in a line. Fourteen identical trophies. Fourteen European Cups.
You see they are not shy about all that here in Madrid. Not shy of what they have done over the years. That number is twice as many as the next in the queue, AC Milan of Italy, who have won seven. It is eight more than Liverpool and nine more than Barcelona. It also includes five won in the last ten years. So this is not just a historical hegemony, it is a modern one too,
And this what Harry Kane and Bayern Munch must attempt to dismantle at the Bernabeu on Wednesday night. Not just the best football team in Spain – they clinched their 36th LaLiga title at the weekend – but also an aura surrounding an institution that simply believes it has a right to lift the most coveted club trophy in European football every springtime.
Even the language of the Madrid media plays to it. Coach Carlo Ancelotti was asked what makes him so special. A question to defender Dani Carvajal began with the assertion: ‘You are an amazing player’.
So, yes, they don’t want for self-regard in this part of Spain and have the numbers and statistics available to back it all up.
Harry Kane and Bayern Munch face a daunting challenge in the Bernabeu on Wednesday night
Real Madrid don't want for self regard, but they do have the numbers and statistics to back that up
Anybody who watched Ancelotti’s team play against Manchester City in the quarter-final will attest to the freakish nature of that victory by way of penalty shoot out.
For large parts of the second leg at the Etihad, Real didn’t even attempt to engage. They could have lost that game 3-0 quite easily. But they didn’t. They drew 1-1 and won the shoot out and here they are, doing what they do once again.
A 2-2 first leg draw last week in Bavaria is not the result it once was. Away goals don’t count anymore. It still places the onus on Bayern, though. Only one team has beaten Real all season and that was neighbours Atletico back in September. So the challenge for Kane and his manager Thomas Tuchel is clear.
