Chants of 'Happy Birthday' rang round Santiago Bernabeu just before the second leg of Real Madrid's last-16 tie against RB Leipzig, as fans celebrated the club's 122nd anniversary. Since their inception in 1902, Madrid have set unprecedented standards of excellence, winning the European Cup on 14 occasions while playing an elegant brand of football that reflects their reputation as the world's greatest club.
But on Wednesday night, Carlo Ancelotti's current crop of superstars failed to live up to their 'El Rey de Europa' (The King of Europe) title, which supporters displayed proudly in a massive banner just before kick-off against RB Leipzig. Madrid were heavy favourites to progress after picking up a 1-0 win at Red Bull Arena on February 13, but endured an uncomfortable night on home soil that very nearly ended in disaster.
The Spanish giants did scrape a 1-1 draw, which was enough to go through, but there was no outpouring of joy at the final whistle. In fact, the Bernabeu was almost completely silent, and the players looked miserable as they trudged off the pitch.
This was a fortunate escape for Real, not a triumph of character or quality, and there is no chance of a 15th European crown heading back to the Spanish capital unless dramatic improvements are made.