Former Chelsea player Craig Burley believes Real Madrid will not claim the UEFA Champions League this season.
He doesn’t see anything from the Spanish side on the field that indicates they can achieve everything this year.
In an interview with ESPN FC, Burley explained that the players become tense whenever opponents start pressing them, and the fans only add pressure by growing impatient.
He noted that while Los Blancos will aim for the league title, he doubts they will make a strong run in European competitions this season.
“You watch Real Madrid when other teams start to control the ball a lot, and the fans get more impatient. As they become more impatient, the players become more anxious.
“But Benfica did not let that happen by making that mistake. So, even though that’s true, the game was really close until the very end.
“But honestly, I don’t see anything from Real Madrid that suggests they’ll do well in this competition besides maybe winning La Liga, where there’s a title race.
“I might be wrong, but I don’t think so.”
Burley also added that Alvaro Arbeloa’s squad will struggle whenever they face strong opponents.
He pointed to Bayern Munich, PSG, Arsenal, and Barcelona as teams that could exploit Real Madrid’s vulnerabilities.
“I’m not seeing anything that suggests Real Madrid will handle a really strong team well,” he said.
“If they face one of the bigger clubs that are performing well, like Bayern Munich or PSG when they’re at their best, or Arsenal or others like that, or even Barcelona again, I think they’re going to face some tough results because they’re not playing well right now.
“They have lost many chances and are still counting on lucky moments to win.”
After defeating Benfica in the playoffs, Real Madrid will meet either Manchester City or Sporting CP in the next round.