The most recent Champions League winners from Madrid, Ancelotti's Real boast the individual brilliance of Cristiano Ronaldo and a supporting cast of stars (Bale, Benzema, Khedira, Modric, Sergio Ramos). That final (which went to extra time before Real pulled away 4-1) gave them some measure of revenge on their city rivals after Atletico had won the league by three points from Barcelona and Real. A sense of what could have been hangs over the side who also took the Copa del Rey - one more league win (ie. the late season loss to Celta Vigo) and they would have done the triple and really made their name in the crowded Real record books. The following year they stumbled unexpectedly in the Champions League semi final against Juventus and Ancelotti's time as coach was up. The knock on them being they were a brittle side who tended to lose the big games. Still, in Ronaldo they possess one of the two superstars of the current era.
Here they run into another "Milanese" coached side- Capello's scudetto winning Roma. That side might be short on credentials for this competition (just 1 domestic trophy and an uninspiring Uefa Cup performance) but they were a brief moment when Capello's Roma project clicked into place- when the balance between attack and defense seemed just right. Walter Samuel, Zebina and Aldair provided the defensive platform for the swashbuckling wingbacks Candela and Cafu, the measured control in midfield of Emerson and the attacking triumvirate of Totti, Montella and Batistuta. It's a fairly unorthodox formation 3-4-1-2 with three central defenders and two defensive midfielders, two wing backs and Totti as a withdrawn forward behind Montella and Batigol.
Roma 2000-2001 Real Madrid 2013-20014
GK Antonioli GK Casillas
CB Zebina LB Coentrao
CB Aldair CB Varane
CB Samuel CB Ramos
WB Candela FB Carvajal
DFM Tomassi LM Di Maria
DFM Emerson CM Khedira
WB Cafu RM Modric
CAM Totti LF Ronaldo
ST Batistuta CF Benzema
ST Montella RF Bale
Subs Subs
C Zanetti Marcelo
Zago Pepe
Del Vecchio Isco
Di Francesco Morata
Balbo Illarramendia
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