Five reasons why Real Madrid may fail to win the league this season 

The title of this slider might baffle a lot of people, especially after the mauling the Catalans received at the hands of the Los Blancos in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup. But things can happen; things that are not expected by the masses.

For example, when the Galacticos won the Champions League in 2014 and the Rojiblancos the league title that very season, nobody expected Barcelona to win much in the following seasons. However, the very next season, the Catalans won the treble, against the expectations of many.

So, we can never really rule out the unexpected and here are five reasons why Real Madrid may fail to win the league this season…

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#5 Too many cooks

Of course, you must have heard the saying, “too many cooks spoil the broth.” This might happen at Madrid. Although Zinedine Zidane has managed his squad extremely well, there are just too many players in midfield.

The likes of Marcos Llorente and Dani Ceballos – both stars of their previous teams last season – couldn’t even find a place on the bench against Manchester United in the European Super Cup final. At some point in the season, the players might feel frustrated at the lack of chances which could result in a disharmonious dressing room.

However, if Zidane takes his rotation policy to the next level and starts shuffling his players often, another problem could arise: the playing system could lose balance. This too could result in a disastrous end for the Blancos, who are expected to dominate world football for the next few seasons.

#4 Poor attack

There is no BBC, just the C

While there might be a lot of players for Madrid in midfield, what can’t be denied is the lack of quality forwards in the side. Cristiano Ronaldo remains the only consistent attacker in the team. Both Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema have not been at their best and are yet to open their account this season despite playing in three pre-season and two official games.

Alvaro Morata scored 20 goals for the Galactico side last term, but he is no longer at the club. Meanwhile, the onus on Marco Asensio to score has increased, but we can't really expect a midfielder to replace the 20 goals that the Chelsea forward scored last season.

The only other forward in the team is Borja Mayoral, but the 20-year-old doesn’t look good enough to make the step up just yet. For all the talent that he might have, the fact is that he had a poor loan outing at Wolfsburg last term and it would be a risk to rely on him as the backup striker.

#3 Mid-season slump

Ancelotti experienced a mid-season slump at Real Madrid

Anyone who follows Madrid would know of the club's tendency to hit a slump right after the winter break. In the 2014-15 season, under Italian manager Carlo Ancelotti the Blancos were flying high for the first half of the season.

However, a slump after the break saw them lose out on everything and end the campaign without a single trophy in the bag. The former Milan boss was eventually sacked and replaced by former Liverpool tactician, Rafa Benitez.

The Spaniard’s tenure started well too but another slump after the winter break caused him to be sacked mid-season and subsequently replaced by Zinedine Zidane. The following season, Zidane also faced a similar problem when he lost to Sevilla and Celta in consecutive games, but made up for it in the end by winning the double.

But does lightning ever strike twice? In other words, can Zidane repeat last season’s heroics should a slump like that happen again?

#2 Overconfidence

Only Real Madrid can stop Real Madrid at the moment

When a team looks as strong and plays as well as Real Madrid are right now, they are always prone to taking things for granted. This is something that happened with Carlo Ancelotti’s Madrid. The Italian’s team were a brutally efficient machine that knew nothing other than winning.

The Blancos went on a 22-match winning streak under the tutelage of the former Paris Saint-Germain boss, but things went awry after a while. The tactician played a very fluid system that didn’t have any holding players in midfield and he had to pay for it in the end.

Real’s winning run made it seem like they didn’t require a defensive player at the centre of the park, but in the end, it cost the former Juventus manager his job. Zidane has created a similarly ruthless team that are yet to lose an official game after last season’s Clasico defeat at the hands of Barca.

So there is always a chance that the club fall prey to the fangs of overconfidence.

#1 Champions League love

Real Madrid's victory parade after winning the UEFA Champions League final in 2014

For most clubs, winning the league is the top-most priority. However, for the Merengues, the Champions League is dearer. The fact that they sacked so many managers in the past despite winning the league that very season is a testament to that claim.

When Real Madrid won the Champions League under Carlo Ancelotti in 2014, many Madridistas were ecstatic and completely forgot the fact that they had bottled the league that was virtually in their bag in January.

To this day, the fans love that season for the fact that they won the much-coveted tenth Champions League, but almost always disregard the ‘minor’ loss of the league.

As the club won the league last season, the thirst for it has quenched, but the hunger for the Champions League is perpetually present in the team – which could harm their chances on the domestic front.