Champions League: Power Rankings after semifinal first legs

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 24: Mohamed Salah of Liverpool celebrates scoring his second goal during the UEFA Champions League Semi Final First Leg match between Liverpool and A.S. Roma at Anfield on April 24, 2018 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) /

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Madrid was able to win despite the shutdown of Christiano Ronaldo. Marcelo scored a beauty and Marco Asensio capitalized on a defensive error by Bayern. This is an achievement for Real who has become Ronaldo dependent in the Champions League.

This is Madrid’s first Champions League win without a Ronaldo goal since the 3-1 win against Napoli in last season’s Round of 16-second leg. Madrid could have played better though. Isco struggled on the left-wing with just one shot in the 46 minutes he played.

The Real Madrid mentality in these big Champions League games is second to none. You need to be extra sharp and decisive to effectively defeat them.
— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) April 25, 2018

Picking the right eleven is paramount for Madrid to run away with the second leg and make the final for a third consecutive Champions League. Zidane will likely keep the same 4-3-3 formation he has played all season and won’t opt to go defensive. I personally would start Bale and Asensio for next week’s contest.

Asensio adds a killer instinct element Madrid needs when Ronaldo is getting shut down. Bale offers necessary pace on the left side and gives Marcelo a chance to hang back on defense every now and again.

A simple and effective performance will do the job next week. If they can’t get Ronaldo going, Bale and Asensio are Zidane’s best options.

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