SurReal Madrid: Carletto's gang has got more lives than a genuine cat

The old myth says cats have seven or even nine lives.

Carlo Ancelotti's Real Madrid, or should we call it surReal, has much more than nine in the Champions League, and it's not a myth, but a simple fact. We still remember those miraculous comebacks against Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Manchester City to make it to the finals, where they topped Liverpool two years ago.

Benzema-driven football champagne triumphed despite trailing massively in almost every single tie in that UCL campaign. And if you thought that was the last time Los Blancos would beat the odds in Europe's elite competition for years - guess again.

Look at their latest Round of 16 clash against RB Leipzig, which reminded us of Real Madrid's century-old superpower - winning big games even when they maybe don't deserve it, when they're outplayed, outsmarted, with their backs to the wall.

A 2-1 victory on aggregate shows it was anything but a routine task for Carletto's gang. The final outcome hides the fact that the Spaniards were worse, struggled and shivered in both legs, yet somehow prevailed.

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Brahim Diaz was the saviour in the opening game, providing visitors with a vital 1-0 away win thanks to his stunning solo run and effort. However, it could have been different if Benjamin Sesko's previous opener wasn't voided due to an alleged offside. The reply showed the officials made a mistake, and once again - God knows how many times the Royals have had that pat on the back from referees - the game unfolded the way Madrid would wish.

The return leg on Wednesday night was a story of its own. Pale, lacklustre hosts were forced to defend at Santiago Bernabeu without a single attempt on target in the entire first half despite the likes of Vinicius Jr, Bellingham...

On the other hand, Leipzig were pushing for the opener (and what would be the equalizer on aggregate), created several clear-cut chances and still managed to miss it.

Xavi Simons, Sesko and especially Openda were even close to recreating that epic battering of Real Madrid at the hands of Ajax Amsterdam five years ago at the same venue (1-4). Alas, poor finishing (we're looking at you, Openda) prevented them from rising high above Carlo Ancelotti's team. And one other thing didn't help them too much, either...

As you already read in our match report, Vinicius Jr put the home side in front in the second half, but he could have been sent off before that for pushing Orban to the ground seconds after the tackle on the same player.

Instead of heading to the locker room, the Brazilian stayed on the pitch, and the rest is history...

Just like Carletto's unique smile following the final whistle, which almost says, "Not this time, not this time". This Spanish cat still has plenty more lives to hang on to in the Champions League.