Failing to qualify from the Champions League group stage is nothing short of a disaster for Real Madrid, but it really does look like they’re up against it this year.
They travel to face Inter Milan tonight in the knowledge that a loss could send them bottom of the group after four games so this really is the worst time to face an injury crisis.
The biggest blow is Sergio Ramos missing the game due to the talismanic effect he has on the team, so this stat which shows they’ve lost six of the last seven without him has to be worrying:
Últimos 7 partidos de Champions League #UCL del Madrid SIN Sergio Ramos:
CSKA 1-0 Madrid
Madrid 0-3 CSKA
Madrid 1-4 Ajax
PSG 3-0 Madrid
Brujas 1-3 Madrid
City 2-1 Madrid
Madrid 2-3 ShakhtarSEIS DERROTAS EN SIETE PARTIDOS (tres de ellas en casa y recibiendo goles a cascoporro). pic.twitter.com/j7hicoUp8C
— MisterChip (Alexis) (@2010MisterChip) October 21, 2020
A loss to Inter would likely give them the head-to-head advantage if they finished level on points, while it would also make group stage elimination a genuine possibility.
The game after this is a trip to face Shakhtar Donetsk – a team who beat them in Spain – and a loss there could actually eliminate them, so Zidane will need to pull something out the bag tonight.
In fairness to the French legend he always seems to get a result when he desperately needs one, but they aren’t exactly flying in La Liga so failure in Europe has to bring his job security into question too.