Madrid’s clash with Liverpool will test Perez’s Super League claims.

Even if Real Madrid This halfway point of reform is not in a completely disastrous position. Champions Leaguethere is There is no escaping the fact that they are in a precarious position. — Shameful not to say — one.

with Wednesday’s fixture against Liverpool Staring them in the face aggressively at Anfield, at a time when Los Blancos The injury list is debilitating and while Carlo Ancelotti’s side have shown their weak side, they are mid-table, 18th, and two points off the relegation zone.

Before we go any further, ask yourself this: can you ever remember, in your life, Real Madrid being in mid-table, 18th or two points above the relegation zone?

Well, there’s no real need to panic.

Including this visit to Premier League And the Champions League leaders, the European champions, have four games left to put themselves in a safe position, which will bring the play-offs in the spring, or automatic qualification for the quarter-finals if they finish top. Can make a place in eight.

But if Madrid are beaten in the north-west of England – and it’s not entirely impossible – they could be overtaken by a handful of teams e.g. Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid, AC Milan or Benficaand could slip further down the 36-team league where the threat looks dire.

The hard truth is that despite handing two recent domestic thumpings to lower-tier teams, the reigning European champions go with far more problems at Anfield. His list of injured stars absent includes: Éder Militão, David Alaba., Dani Carvajal, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Rodrigo and, importantly, Vinicius Jr. Terrible.

They still have a strong squad, and will still field an XI that would be the envy of many clubs at the top of world football — but one that is extraordinarily brave, talented, There is a shortage of experienced, high-quality staff. Suha is.

Last season, Ancelotti’s side became champions despite a number of injuries, but never so many at the same time. It has an element of balance. Thibaut Courtois A return to purpose, which is absolutely monumental. Jude Bellingham Returning to form, and Lucas Vazquez Will be able to travel with the squad and possibly play at right-back.

Still Losing Vinicius to a hamstring injury A big blow for Madrid especially against Liverpool. The Brazilian has been a constant nightmare for the Premier League side. The Spanish champions have an unremarkable recent record against the Reds, losing to them only twice competitively, unbeaten in 15 years, and beating Liverpool in the two most recent Champions League finals.

Vinícius has been at the heart of much of it, producing goals and assists (seven in total) to torment Anfield’s men. This season, across all competitions, the devastating Brazilian has scored 20 goals — scoring or assisting — in just 18 appearances. What a loss.

But whether or not Madrid confirms their perpetual “You can’t hurt us, we’re Teflon!” attitude and win, or be forced to lick their wounds in defeat and then “Everybody on deck!” Prepare for. In the remaining three matches, it must be said that this situation has helped to expose the hypocrisy of Florentino Perez.

I don’t think it was a good weekend for the president of Madrid, who used to have an annual general meeting. Shake up your thoughts Through the club members and the association through the media to the whole world. He Trot Some nonsense about what would have happened if Vinicius hadn’t had the Ballon D and the strange behavior of the winning nations like Uganda, Namibia, Albania and Finland.

It was nothing more than the arm of an arrogant billionaire on a boardroom table. He unilaterally dismissed the value or relevance of these countries’ football. In his diary, he was clear that from his point of view the people who voted from these countries were nobody, and knew nobody. He treated his international reputation with contempt.

What he forgot to take into account was that these nations gave votes and points. Karim Benzema Or Courtois when the French won and Belgium finished seventh in the 2022 Ballon d’Or. There were no complaints then: just, a quiet satisfaction that the serfs had voted as they had to vote.

Perez was a hypocrite then, but even more so when mudslinging the Champions League format. Peres claimed that a year-old European Court of Justice decision had freed football from the cruelties of FIFA and UEFA. Twelve months have passed and don’t forget, nothing special has happened because of this order. But Madrid’s president still felt it necessary to point out that the sport had taken an absurd liberty.

This in itself seemed absurd, but he compounded the error by saying that his beloved Super League project was gaining support and ignored the fact that he and his allies Not only was he defeated by gunfire while he brought him. Project on the table, but humiliated by the incompetence of his timing, his communication and the way in which general football opinion turned against him.

Nevertheless, he continues to emphasize it. What he wants most is more revenue for the big clubs. He pretends that this could be the cure–not an unfair complaint–for the money football fans pay to watch teams, and that the governing bodies have all the finesse, the creativity. And squeezing stability. One of our best footballers.

What was always at the core, and I think is still at the core of Perez’s Super League idea, is that big clubs play big clubs non-stop. No frills. The inherent disadvantage for domestic football around Europe was the Achilles heel that they failed to understand that fans would (still) rebel about.

However, just on a shiny and superficial level, the idea of ​​Europe’s biggest names playing each other again and again, and not having to worry about annoying trips to the Czech Republic, Scotland, Finland or Norway etc., seems attractive to some. .

What Perez didn’t mention was the type of fixture he wants in this new fictitious competition with Real Madrid at Anfield this week. Exactly when Los Blancos Instead an easy to knock down minion will be played.

I make no bones about the fact that I want Real Madrid to progress in this tournament because they bring passion and an unwavering determination to win, and they are the proven emperors of this competition. No questions, no arguments.

But the irony, the cynical laughter that will follow them if they are either left struggling or scrapped because of the failures against Liverpool and Milan, the midweek fixtures they have won in their Super League. Bar wishes, revenge will be cold for them. Against Perez’s selfish plans.

Wednesday will be an occasion where footballers like Kylian MbappeCourtois, Bellingham and Federico Valverde Absolutely must shine and where the draw will be more than enough. But there is a chance defeat for the champions would leave their ambitious president with egg on his face, and his side are in a terrifyingly difficult qualifying position.