REAL REMAIN A THREAT IN EUROPE

Real Madrid’s slump in form has alarms ringing in the Spanish capital but the Los Blancos are often a different animal in the spring. With them having done well in the Champions League over the last couple of years, here’s a look at how they are placed th

ALWAYS BOUNCE BACK

Real are certain to finish second in Group H behind Tottenham but that’s not an issue if we look at the previous seasons.

Two years ago, Madrid were in such mid-season crisis that Rafael Benitez was sacked in January. Zinedine Zidane took over and five months later won the Champions League.

Last season, Zidane's men finished second in their group but still went on to retain their European title.

A DIFFERENT STORY

This winter has brought another crisis. A 0-0 draw at Athletic Bilbao left Real eight points adrift of Barcelona at the top of La Liga, having failed to win six of 14 league games so far this season. The Champions League has been a different story, though, as Cristiano Ronaldo once again leads all scorers with eight in five games.

Karim Benzema has also tended to save his best for Europe and he became the fifth-top scorer in the competition's history with a double in a 6-0 rout of

APOEL Nicosia two weeks ago. Poor domestic form has historically only made Madrid stronger come the business end of the Champions League.

GETTING IT RIGHT

Ronaldo was also questioned this time last year after an unusually slow start to the season before coming alive to score 10 goals from the Champions League quarterfinals on, that helped him win the Ballon d'or for a fifth time this week.

The fatigue affecting key members of the squad like Marcelo, Luka Modric (in pic) and Toni Kroos could also be eradicated should Real prioritise Champions League glory once more come the new year, whilst Zidane remains confident Gareth Bale can return better than ever.