Real Madrid is linked with European greatness, and everyone is aware of this. The club is never weary of winning the Champions League, and it is an unbreakable habit.
This season's Champions League campaign has been unusual for Madrid. They suffered massive failure in the early stages of the tournament, forcing them to compete in the play-offs owing to their poor league standing.
Despite all odds and roster troubles, the Merengues continued to win against tough opponents and currently sit as one of the final eight teams standing.
Opta's forecasts have Real Madrid in an outrageous position
However, as they often do, analysts and predictions have dismissed Real Madrid's chances of winning the coveted title.
According to Opta's supercomputer forecasts, Real Madrid are in fifth place out of eight contenders for the Champions League title. Opta ranks FC Barcelona as the side with the best chance of winning.
The team led by Hansi Flick has a 20% probability of winning the competition, the highest of any club on the list. Paris Saint-Germain come in second with a 19% probability. Arsenal and Inter Milan are third and fourth, followed by Real Madrid, who have only a 13% chance of winning the competition they won last season. Bayern Munich, Aston Villa and Dortmund follow Real Madrid in the written order.
It's striking how Opta asserts that its projections are based on market odds and historical club performances.
It is commonly known that many, if not all, of these prediction systems and pundit estimations have aged poorly. Jamie Carragher, for example, used to underestimate Madrid and always returned with a long face. Sergio Aguero, the former Atletico Madrid and Manchester City star, recently placed an intriguing wager against Real Madrid, the outcome of which remains unknown.
To summarize, in the words of Alvaro Arbeloa, "When everyone thinks we are dead and buried, we go and win the Champions League."