In his post-match press conference, Manuel Pellegrini denied that the team had been cornered. He said: "The lads played well and we were firmly in control of the initiative on the pitch. We were mentally prepared for the strength of our opponents and dealt with them well on the field. This victory was not easy, but it was deserved. ”

'I'm very happy that Ronnie is back in form and his brace is very important for the team. He's always been able to contribute to the team and I'm very happy with his performance. As you can see, there is no conflict between me and him, sometimes I don't let him play because of the tactical needs of the team. When the team needs him and he has no problem with his fitness, I will not hesitate to put him on the pitch. Only a madman would put such a good player on the bench all the time. ”

'Today we all saw an all-powerful Ricardo who provided two assists and scored a goal himself. I believe he is the heart of Real Madrid, from now until 10 years from now. He is the most indispensable player for Real Madrid, two Ballon d'Or and two World Footballer of the Year awards have proven his worth, and I don't need to say more. ”

'With such a good group of players, our goal is to reach the Champions League final. Not making it to the final was a losing season for us and I have zero tolerance for failure. ”

Some reporters also said that even Rome has caused you so much trouble, where did you get the confidence to reach the final? That's not what I said, but that's what it means.

Pellegrini smiled slightly, but did not answer directly.

Instead, Spalletti was caught up in the fire. When it was his turn to speak, he said with a blank face: "The lads played well, we did our best, but luck wasn't on our side. Real Madrid is a strong team, they have too many good players, even some of the best players in the world. But we played as a unit, we made up for the lack of skill with our run and will, and I'm proud of the lads. ”

"Our goal was to reach the last four, but now we have no choice but to fall outside the last eight, which is a shame. We played very well this season and I think we deserved one or two titles. Next season we will continue to work hard and we want to show the world that we are not a team that can be beaten casually and that we can cause enough problems for any team in the world. ”

The Romans left Madrid in disgrace.

Before they left, Ricardo invited Totti and Sicinho to get together. When Ricardo played in Serie A, he didn't have much friendship with Totti, but he admired Totti very much and also exchanged jerseys.

With his current status, he sent out an invitation, and Totti was not flattered, but he would definitely give some face.

Instead of taking them to a nightclub, Ricardo found a restaurant that opened late, found a secluded corner, and had some traditional Spanish food and drinks.

Siciño congratulated Ricardo, wished Real Madrid a final, and said that it was a pity that they could not play together again.

"You're very strong," Ricardo said of his regrets, "and the injury hit you too hard." ”

Sicinho looked gloomy. "Yes, injuries are the enemy of athletes. Ronnie is not as good as he used to be now, he scored two goals in the game today, but it was because you created too many chances for him. Before, you were not needed at all, and he could solve the battle by himself. ”

"Yes, Ronaldo is the player I admire the most," echoed Totti, "but he's not what he used to be. Time, injuries, and the greatest athletes can't beat these two enemies. Licardo, you have to protect yourself mainly. It is wise that you choose to go to La Liga, which has a far less defensive intensity than Serie A. As long as you're not too lucky, you can have a longer football career playing in La Liga. ”

Ricardo also had a kinship. He felt the changes in Ronaldo the most. Ronaldo's 100-meter speed has increased by at least 0.4 seconds, and his starting speed, explosiveness, and confrontation ability are also much worse.

Now Ronaldo, it is impossible for him to run alone in the half of the pitch and score the ball through 4 or 5 people in a row.

The alien who once galloped the ball to the invincible ground is no longer there. All that's left is a slightly old lion. The minions are still there, but they are no longer sharp.

The quarter-finals of the Champions League don't start until April, leaving Real Madrid with only the task of the league for the rest of March.

It's a good time for them to steal points.

On 9 March, they host Espanyol. In the 19th minute, the Spaniards took the lead and opened the scoring with a Baldo header.

Ricardo's cross was then headed into the back of the net by Raul to equalise.

The Spaniards played very tenaciously, and although they were playing away from home, they did not lose at all in terms of momentum, and every goal was contested.

It wasn't until near the end of the game that substitute Gonzalo Higuain sent a through ball and Ricardo scored a winning goal for Real Madrid to take all three points with difficulty.

After the game, Marca commented that after a tiring Champions League match, the whole Real Madrid team was out of shape, and only Ricardo still maintained the level of a champion player.

In midweek, the draw for the quarter-finals and semi-finals of the Champions League took place. Real Madrid will face Manchester United and, if they make it to the next round, they will face the winner of Barcelona and Schalke 04.

This is really not a good signing, obviously there are teams like Schalke 04, Fenerbahce, and Arsenal outside, but the team has drawn one of the strongest opponents.

This season, Manchester United is invincible in the Premier League, and the 23-year-old Ronaldo is maturing, getting rid of the label of "fancy, flashy" and becoming Manchester United's new thigh. Wayne Rooney is still sharp, Carlos Tevez is playing well, Paul Scholes, Hargreaves and Michael Carrick are all strong stars in midfield, and central defenders Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic form the best backline in the Premier League.

This opponent is by no means comparable to a team like Roma.

In the 28th round of the league, Real Madrid visited Deportivo La Coruna, and the attack continued to be weak, and Pepe's own goal made Real Madrid lose by one goal.

Real Madrid have not won at the Stadio Riazor for 17 years and have lost all four of their last four games at the stadium. It looks like this record will be extended. Deportivo La Coruna is simply Real Madrid's nemesis.

After this round of defeat, Real Madrid's lead was narrowed to 4 points, allowing Sevilla and Atletico Madrid to see the hope of catching up again.