We can't talk about the Champions League, which began this week, without talking about Real Madrid. After winning two consecutive championships and three of the past four, it's undeniable that Real has supplanted Barcelona as the world's best team. Now the club has to be setting its sights on the seemingly impossible: equaling the five consecutive European Cups that the club won between 1956 and 1960.
We can't talk about Real Madrid without talking about two players. First, Cristiano Ronaldo, the world's best player apart from Lionel Messi. Ronaldo, who'll be 33 this winter, has undergone a transformation as he's gotten older. Once, he was the all-conquering winger, embarrassing fullbacks and knifing inside to score. As he has aged, he has drifted further and further toward becoming a straight-up center forward, a position that allows him to defend less — never his strong suit anyway — and still provide the same immense scoring threat.
Ronaldo has always been good for a goal per game, but in last season's Champions League knockout rounds he outdid even himself. Five goals over two legs against Bayern Munich. A hat trick against Atletico Madrid in the semifinals. Two more goals in the final against Juventus. It was an astonishing run, and if Real will win a third straight title, it starts with him.
Then there's Zinedine Zidane, who once dominated the midfield in a Real white jersey and now orchestrates the team from the coaches' bench. Los Blancos have always struggled to integrate many superstars into one squad, but Zidane — once the best player on a Real Madrid side full of stars — seems to have cracked the code. "Zizou" took over halfway through 2015-16, immediately turned around a team in chaos and has won two European Cups and a La Liga title in a year and a half.
We could talk about challengers to Real's dominance but, in truth, they seem a step behind. Paris Saint-Germain has spent obscene Qatari oil riches to assemble an unstoppable forward line, consisting of Neymar, Edinson Cavani and Kylian Mbappe. But there are too many questions about the defense and manager Unai Emery to install PSG as favorite.
The rest of the contenders seem unworthy to be in the conversation. Barcelona was thrown into chaos as PSG stole Neymar away this summer and didn't do enough to replace him. Bayern Munich seems to be a year further away from being a contender, not a year closer. Three English clubs — Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City — have designs on European glory, but the grind of the Premier League has lately been enough to torpedo any English team's chances.
When it comes to the Champions League this season, then, all we can talk about is whether any team can possibly beat Real Madrid. Unfortunately for other clubs, the answer is it's doubtful.
Short takes
• A year ago, the Gophers soccer team lost only one Big Ten game — to Wisconsin, in overtime. This year's conference schedule begins with the rematch (4 p.m. Saturday, no TV). Minnesota had a relatively successful nonconference run, winning four and drawing two of its seven matches. But despite being the defending conference champions, the Gophers were picked to finish fifth in the preseason Big Ten coaches' poll.
