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

Conclusion

Cristiano Ronaldo leaving Kiev and Real Madrid after the Champions League final of 2017-18

After the shock move of Cristiano to Juventus in the summer of 2018, many questions have started to reverberate in the footballing folklore. The most obvious of them is whether or not Real Madrid could defend their title without their talisman striker.

Any team that could give the closest competition to the legends of the 1950s is Cristiano Ronaldo's Real Madrid who has won it 4 out of the last 5 seasons. They are the first team to make a hat-trick of wins in the Champions League era after the European Cup was rebranded in 1992.

Ronaldo has remained the synonym of elegance and the top-scorer for the last six seasons in the competition. With 120 strikes to his name, it should not be a surprise that fans across the world call him Mr Champions League.

Out of 138 goals scored by Real Madrid in the four Champions League wins, Cristiano has scored 60 goals, approximately 44 per cent of the goals. It is a huge percentage considering the stature of the competition.

Unarguably CR7 remained one of the Mr dependables for Los Blancos, however, microanalysis suggests that he was not decisive in all the games and other members have chipped in with valuable contributions at the right time to win the trophy.

Data suggests that Real Madrid depended heavily on Cristiano, however, they have proven goal scorers in the form of Benzema, Bale, Isco, Ramos and now Asensio. If they come good as a collective unit, Real Madrid could become a team to beat.

Yet, it is a known fact that without Cristiano, Real Madrid would not have broken the jinx of quarterfinal where he proved decisive in each of the campaigns. The team that boasts the luxury of having a talismanic scorer always has an upper hand in every tie. In the current campaign, Real could miss Cristiano heavily in the quarterfinal come April 2019.

Cristiano in action against Valencia in the UEFA Champions League Group H

Until then, many would find it difficult to estimate the value of the superstar scorer for Real Madrid. He had been the watchful protector of Madrid. He was not the footballer Bernabeu fans deserved, after the boos and the whistles, he was the footballer they needed at times to garner confidence against mighty opponents.

If Real Madrid comes to face off with Juventus in the current campaign, they might realize the gem they have lost to the Italian giants. Juventus were already a heavyweight without Cristiano. Now they should be the most feared opponents in the competition. A glimpse of what they are capable of has been portrayed at the Mestalla against Valencia.

For Madrid, the probability of defending the crown stands tall but not strong enough. The goals which were the backbone of Los Blancos' confidence of traumatizing opposition defense is no longer there. Unfortunately, this time the crown has to be defended without the availability of that magical confidence.

They would need someone from the core to step up and provide cover for those number of goals. Bernabeu would be looking for someone who could rise 8 feet high to convert crosses into goals. They would be looking for inspirations at times of depressions. They would be looking for hope.

Ramos and Co. will have to unite, rise and prove it to the world that, "Yes, they can. Cristiano may be the greatest footballer as an individual but they are the greatest team ever to grace the field". History is waiting with its golden ink.