CAN THE LOS BLANCOS WIN IT ALL :-( TREBLE)

After series of eye catching display the Los Blanco’s are strong contenders to win the treble this season. Real Madrid has all but booked their place in the Champions League quarterfinals with an incredible 6-1 win over Schalke in Gelsenkirchen. Even more remarkable than the score line was the manner in which it was achieved, with the Spaniards never having to step out of first gear. Make no mistake about it: They’re seriously out to challenge Bayern’s status as Europe’s best team. They are on fire as they have reached the final of Copa Del Ray and right now they are at the summit of La liga.
With Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema returning to form and the likes of Xabi Alonso, Modric, Di Maria under their tanks and not to forget they have the world’s best player Ronaldo under their ranks the fans at Santiago Bernabéu expects no less than a treble. It was no surprise to see Real Madrid ease past their city rivals Atletico Madrid, with Cristiano Ronaldo’s double strike from the penalty spot giving Los Blancos a 5-0 aggregate victory over Atletico Madrid and booking a place in the final where, in all likelihood, they will face Barcelona in the season’s third Clasico. The Copa has been devalued over recent years - except, of course, by whoever wins it - but a Clasico final always restores its kudos.
4-2 win over Villarreal demonstrated Real Madrid’s resilience as well as their defensive vulnerability. Like Barcelona, they are prone to conceding sloppy goals but are always capable of scoring plenty more. The midfield - typically Luca Modric, Angel Di Maria and Xabi Alonso but with Isco and Asier Illaramendi waiting in the wings - is loaded with threat, capable of running the game, stretching opponents and relentlessly supplying ammunition to the front line. Ancelotti’s men possess an impressive array of attacking talent. Alongside Ronaldo, the forwards are irresistible. Karim Benzema is back to his best after a poor start to the campaign, while Gareth Bale can raid the flanks and slice through defenses to be either scorer or provider, with both characteristics in evidence against Villarreal and Schalke 04.
In defense, Sergio Ramos is equally capable of brilliance or blunder and always liable to garner yellow (and red) cards, but again Ancelotti has options with the returning Raphael Varane and the much improved Pepe alongside Fabio Coentrao, Marcelo, Alvaro Arbeloa, and Daniel Carvajal. Lastly, Diego Lopez has grown in stature to keep Iker Casillas sidelined, with the national No.1 returning for the Copa and Champions League. With these vast resources at his disposal, how realistic is it to believe that Ancelotti can emulate Pep Guardiola’s 2008-09 Barcelona side by securing three pieces of silverware by the end of May? The answer to that question may be clearer by the end of March, a month that sees another city derby at the Calderon, a second Clasico at the Bernabeu.
With Madrid and Barca so evenly matched in terms of performance, star quality and strength in depth both come into play. A glance at the Real Madrid bench, regularly warmed by such talents as Isco, Illaramendi and the emerging Alvaro Morata and Jese Rodriguez, compares favorably with their opposite numbers at Barcelona and, on current form at least, gives Los Blancos a competitive advantage. Turning that into silverware represents a major challenge, but one that remains within their gift. Furthermore I do believe that players at Madrid have that hunger or rather they are starving to win the treble this season and prove their critics wrong. Madrid is aiming to clinch the 10th Champions league which gives them an extra motivation to clinch the iconic number and to mark themselves in the pages of Football history.