5 key departures that ruined Real Madrid's Plan B

#3 Pepe

Throughout his Real Madrid career, Pepe was an important figure in the team. He acted as a steady beacon of fearless and determined defending, tackling and bullying the opposition into relinquishing possession of the ball.

The Portuguese defender carried a much-needed veteran's instinct, which influenced the team to defend better, even in precarious situations. The defensive lapses in Real's game, whenever he was rested by Zidane, were noticeable throughout the 2016-17 season (Pepe's final season with Real Madrid), although the late match-winning goals covered much of the defence's shortcomings.

Despite all the talent Ramos's new partner, Varane, possesses, he doesn't quite have the defensive alertness and shrewdness that Pepe showed time and again. The maxim, 'there is no substitute for experience', is very applicable here.

Perhaps, the most annoying fact about Pepe's departure is that the former Porto man was sold to Besiktas within a year of his Euro Cup winning heroics for Portugal. His performances for the Portuguese National Team exhibit that the dogged persistence, with which he troubles the strikers, has not faded in the twilight years of his career.