Real Madrid left to sift through wreckage after Bayern blow shatters another disappointing season

MADRID, April 16 : Real Madrid have some difficult soul-searching to do after a dramatic defeat by Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals left the 15-times European champions staring at the prospect of a second successive campaign without silverware.

The Champions League had represented Real's last realistic route to a trophy. Their LaLiga challenge has faltered, with the Madrid side trailing Barcelona by nine points with seven matches remaining.

Defeat by Bayern followed a shock Copa del Rey exit to second-tier Albacete in January and domestic stumbles that have drained momentum. When Real host Alaves in LaLiga on Tuesday, it will mark a month since they last won in any competition. 

Barcelona, meanwhile, could clinch the title for a second straight year when they host Real at the Camp Nou on May 10 with three games to play, a twist that would compound the pain for their old rivals.

For Real to salvage the title, they would require a flawless finish and a collapse from Barca – an unlikely combination that underlines the scale of their predicament.

SCRUTINY INTENSIFIES

The season began unsteadily with the appointment of Xabi Alonso, who lasted six months before being replaced by former teammate Alvaro Arbeloa, promoted from his role with the second team in mid-January.

While performances have shown signs of improvement, results have not. President Florentino Perez must now decide whether that perceived progress, and a respectable showing against Bayern despite elimination, are sufficient to keep faith with the former defender.

Beyond the dugout, the squad also faces scrutiny. Supporters accustomed to extraordinary standards – forged by 15 European Cup triumphs, five of them in the past 12 years – are questioning