Analysis: What are the odds for the Champions to defend their title without Cristiano Ronaldo?

2017-18: When Madrid derailed the League Table Toppers

Gareth Bale destroying Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League Final 2017-18 at Kiev

The 2017-18 season saw Real Scoring 33 goals in total out of which 15 were from Cristiano Ronaldo. Cristiano scored in each of the group stage games becoming the first ever footballer to do so.

In the round of 16, he scored 3 goals with a brace in the first leg to see off the mighty Paris Saint-German who were the champions of Ligue 1. PSG was considered to have had the best attack at that moment and Real Madrid defence was leaking goals at will. However, the aggregate result of 5-2 showcased the supremacy of the Real outfit in the competition.

In the quarterfinal, he repeated the same feat against Serie A Champions, Juventus, with an overhead wonder goal that won him the goal of the season award. Juventus almost took it to the extra time but were left heartbroken when Cristiano Ronaldo fires home the penalty conceded at the end of extended stoppage time.

However, he was quiet in the semifinal and the final in the campaign where Bale, Benzema, Modric, and Asensio played the pivotal roles. Real Madrid shattered the dreams of Bayern Munich, the Bundesliga Champions, in the semifinals.

In the final, Bale came off the bench and scored a decisive brace to see off rampant Liverpool and made it a hat-trick of Champions League for the Los Blancos.