Why Real Madrid will not win the Champions League in 2018/19

#2 Absence of a proper striker

Gareth Bale has been too prone to injury in the recent seasons

Real Madrid's major problem is their forward line. Real are accustomed to playing a 4-3-3 formation which has a central forward and two inside forwards. The BBC era of Bale-Benzema-Cristiano is already a thing of the past.

Karim Benzema has become a shadow of his former self, who used to tear down defences with his relentless vision and goal-scoring prowess. He is not very effective at scoring goals but somehow remains quite capable of creating chances for others to finish.

In Gareth Bale, Real Madrid have one of the costliest players of the planet and maybe, one of the best. Madrid need the 'Tottenham' Bale and not the injury-prone winger, who spends half of the season on the bench nursing his injuries. Hopefully, the departure of Ronaldo will open the gates for the talismanic Welshman to wreak havoc in the opposition defences.

Apart from these two, Real Madrid possess the immensely talented but inexperienced Vinicius Jr. Lucas Vazquez is a really reliable winger and Borja Mayoral completes the list of forwards.