One became two, two became four, four became eight, and on Saturday, Luka Modric made it nine. Real Madrid, says Marca, have "their fingers crossed." But maybe they need to do more than that.
Right now, Real Madrid's players might be well served by wrapping their lucky coins in their favourite handkerchiefs and, after being careful to put on their left shoe first while steering clear of mirrors and ladders, go four-leaf clover hunting at night in a field devoid of black cats in the hope of standing under a shooting star.