B - B - R

Carlo Ancelotti's Real Madrid is a very likeable side. He has brought in many young players from Real Madrid's youth side, but at the same time he has managed to get most out of the stars. In the Champions League match match against Schalke 04 tonight the B - B - R (Benzema, Bale, Ronaldo) was deadly: with two goals each they were instrumental in destroying the German chances for advance with a 1-6 away win (that said, Klaus Jan Huntelaar's goal for Schalke was the best of the match!).
The first leg of the last-16 of the Champions League have seen Real Madrid rise above the rest in spite of some impressive result by other sides as well: Bayern Munich's 0-2 away win to Arsenal continues to make them favourites. FC Barcelona's 0-2 away win to Manchester City also put them back as contenders for the title in spite of the current difficulties, and Paris St. Germain's 0-4 away victory to Bayer Leverkusen also made them a team to be reckoned with. In my view the favourites must be Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, but anything can of course happen.