The times, as Bob Dylan rather ironically has sung for the best part of the last six decades, they are a-changin'. Real Madrid boast a core of world-class players which has led the Spaniards to unprecedented continental domination over the last few years, including three consecutive Champions League titles.
But that same squad, minus of course the great Cristiano Ronaldo, is showing its legs.
The evidence was already on show for those willing to look closely enough in Zinedine Zidane's final season. A distant, disappointing third in La Liga, the Merengue salvaged their campaign with the European crown during a run that was epic rather than dominant, like a tired prize fighter drawing on all his reserves of strength for one last moment of glory.