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

#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?