On Monday, March 2, Real Madrid seemed to enter a deep crisis. A league loss to Getafe, their second consecutive after the one in Pamplona. Barcelona was pulling away in the standings amid mounting doubts on the horizon, including poor results, injuries, and a host of suspensions.

However, on Tuesday, March 17, that is, 15 days later, the phrase heard most at the end of the match against Manchester City was: “We can win the league and the Champions League.”

What has changed? The club maintains that the decisions made upon returning from the Super Cup are the reasons for the metamorphosis, that it all stemmed from poor planning. They believe the physical aspect is beginning to pay off.

The emotional and tactical also play a part. The truth is that players like Valverde and Vinicius have regained their full form, serving as catalysts for the rest. They lament the lost time when the decision had already been made.

Tactically, they speak of a more balanced system, with more legs and players who are aware that it was either run or nothing could be done. The turning point was the meeting held in the Valdebebas dressing room, with the absence of players as important as Bellingham and Mbappe.

They told each other what they thought face to face and realized that something had to change, that they could not continue like that. It was a time of doubt, but the players understood that change was necessary. The experiments were set aside to make way for logic and courage in some decisions.

Arbeloa looked to the academy and got it right. He knew the club was behind him, that the rumors appearing everywhere about one, two, or even three possible replacements were due to a desire for change and poor results. He received the institution's support, and the players learned of it directly.

The arrival of young, capable, and more than prepared blood has done the rest. Now everyone runs, as demonstrated by the fact that Vinicius covered the most meters in the first leg against Manchester City.

In both matches, Arbeloa’s team has run more than Guardiola’s. Specifically, in the return leg at the Etihad, 114.5 km to 109.9 km for the English team. In the first leg, Madrid’s players also surpassed City’s players, but by only 300 meters. Legs, physique, but above all, mentality. And now they think anything is possible.

The derby arrives, a clash of maximum rivalry, but as strange as few. It comes hand in hand with Courtois’ injury, but what makes it different is what is at stake for each side. While Atletico has its mind on the Copa del Rey final and the Champions League quarterfinal against Barcelona, the white team knows that everything is at stake in LaLiga, that not even the slightest mistake is acceptable. They know it. Just as they have not forgotten the 5-0 thrashing at the Metropolitano.

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