After drawing 1-1 at Real Betis on Sunday, meaning they've now dropped nearly 50 percent of the points available on the road this season, Pepe admitted it was "difficult" and "complicated" for Real Madrid to fight back and win la Liga. Already out of the Copa del Rey because of their own administrative incompetence, it is demonstrably the Champions League where Madrid, capable of performing weakly in the Spanish title race but winning the European Cup, have their best chance of glory.
It's early for Zinedine Zidane, and nobody is saying that it's totally impossible for Madrid to phoenix their way to the title, either.