Take a look at Real Madrid's season so far, and by almost any metric, it looks like a success. They're top of LaLiga with 12 games left to play, six points clear of Sevilla and 15 ahead of the rivals they care about most, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid. They picked up the season's first silverware by winning the Spanish Supercopa, beating Barca and Athletic Club. And they reached the Champions League knockout stage, a minimum requirement given the club's storied history in the competition.
But it hasn't always been convincing.