UEFA Champions League: Three reasons why Real Madrid beat AS Roma

#1 A new number 7, no problem

Mariano Diaz scores a stunning goal against AS Roma

No Cristiano Ronaldo and no outrageous sums of money spent to try and find President Florentino Perez’s next Galactico. Instead, new manager Julen Lopetegui decided to keep things in-house and use the superstars he had to replace the Portuguese giant’s goals. After all, Ronaldo did score 450 goals in just under 440 games, including a 105 in the UEFA Champions League just for Real Madrid and replacing that kind of numbers was always going to be tough.

And yet Real Madrid and Lopetegui together have managed to work the kinks out, with players taking charge of various responsibilities that Ronaldo once held. Sergio Ramos is now the penalty taker, Isco Alarcon and Toni Kroos take free-kicks and Mariano Diaz has taken the number seven after Marco Asensio reportedly refused it.

Meanwhile, goal-scoring has been taken up by Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale, with the two stars combining to score 11 goals in seven games for the Los Blancos so far, with Benzema already equalling his tally from last season in LaLiga. Now, good things take time, and in the little time he has had, Julen Lopetegui has managed to get Real Madrid used to the idea of surviving without a global superstar for the moment, or at least until Marco Asensio evolves into one.

But till that happens or rather till President Florentino Perez decides to spend outrageous money on his next Galactico, the Los Blancos faithful have nothing to worry about.