Img Source (Ronaldo's legacy at Madrid will never be forgotten, but Madrid doesn't need him anymore)

There have been a lot of talks that Real Madrid are doomed to fail this season after Ronaldo has joined Juventus. I did not think that it could hurt Real Madrid much, though. Of course, Ronaldo is still one of the greatest players out there, but his dominance shrinks with every year and to be honest, he doesn't look like a man out of this planet anymore. Ronaldo is 33 years old, and he only has a couple of years left in him. I am surprised that Juventus actually paid that much for the Portuguese football genius, but Real Madrid fans should not be sad. It is time to let Ronaldo go and enjoy the rest of the team.

For a very long time, I did not enjoy watching Real Madrid play. However, yesterday, I fell in love with Real Madrid for the first time in my life. The team was brilliant, and every single person knew what they had to do. Also, no one got over-shined by Ronaldo which used to happen a lot during his time in Madrid. Even Benzema became a top-class forward again. I never thought that I would give a compliment to Benzema, but let's face it, he is good again.

So, do Real Madrid need Ronaldo at all? Financially, they will lose a little because Ronaldo used to bring a lot of money from jersey sales. Also, fewer people attend the stadium after Ronaldo went to Torino Juventus. However, these are just momentary loses and with good results (I am sure that Real Madrid won't fail) even these numbers will get back to normal. A new star will be born, and people will start buying again.

So, let's look at Real Madrid's situation on the pitch now.

The defensive line only got better this season with Courtois coming to Madrid. Navas said that he would never leave, so the only problem that Lopetegui has now is how to distribute time between both players. But that is a good problem to have. Sergio Ramos and Varane remain the main guys who cement Madrid's defense. I would say that those two are the best center-defenders pair in the world at the moment. On the side, Marcelo is always ready to join the attack and launch his superb crosses and shots. Even though he might not be the most reliable defender, he would still be my number one pick to fill the left-back position.

On top of that, Sergio Ramos is now the penalty shot taker, and that shows how much respect he has on the team. Ramos was always the leader outside of the pitch even when Ronaldo was in Madrid, so it is obvious that Ronaldo's departure won't kill the spirit of the team. Even contrary, I believe that Real Madrid players are now as happy as ever. I never liked Ramos as a person, but I must take my hat off to him for being a great leader and motivator. He is a clutch guy, and he knows how to win so as long as Ramos is playing for Real Madrid, this team will always have the winner's mentality.

Img Source (Ramos was always the leader of Real Madrid)

Midfield did not change at all as well. Modric, Casemiro and Kroos are the guys who control the center and distribute the balls to forwards. Those three did not get enough credit with Ronaldo on the team but now, when Ronaldo is left, people start to notice how amazing Real Madrid's midfielders are. Just look at the passes that Modric made yesterday versus Roma. That was pure class. In my eyes, Modric must be the best midfielder in the world right now. Just watch him move with and without a ball to understand. It's almost impossible to stop that guy from controlling the center of the pitch, which is pivotal for the victories.

And now, let's talk about the forwards. Obviously, many people would say that Real Madrid have lost their ability to attack without Ronaldo. However, I disagree. Gareth Bale has already shown in last year's final that he is way underrated and can easily be the leader of any team in the world. He has his chance now to prove that. In my opinion, Bale is off to a very good start. Also, remember that Bale is 4 years younger than Ronaldo which means that he is at his peak now, whereas Ronaldo's curve is starting to decline already. I might not be completely objective as Bale was always one of my favorite players (just look at his speed, that's enough to love the guy) but if I had to pick Ronaldo or Bale, I would pick Bale at the moment.

Benzema is also out of the shadows. I am starting to think that Benzema played so terrible the last couple of years because he did not have enough freedom and had to let Ronaldo play in the center. Players like Benzema are no good playing in any other position than central-forward. And now, when Benzema is back at his favorite position, we already see results - he is scoring like crazy in La Liga already.

Isco and Asensio are two Spanish players who will be the leaders of the international team for many years to come. They will also be the key players for Real Madrid as well. Both of them are still very young (Isco 26 and Asensio 22), so Madrid fans should be happy about the future of their favorite club. If you need any proofs, look at what Asensio did against Croatia during the Nations League match. Or look at Asensio's trick shot against Roma. It could have been the goal of the season so far, but Olsen has ruined the party.

Mariano made quite an impression yesterday as well. If he can keep up the great work, he will be a very good player to start the game from the bench. However, I still believe that Real Madrid will need to buy at least one more good attacking player who could bring some rotation opportunities. At the moment, only Asensio (or Isco) is at the same level as the starting XI. That needs to change, but I believe Lopetegui knows that as well.

Apart from that, Real Madrid looks as good as ever. It doesn't mean that Real will win the Champions League again because there are plenty other powerhouses in Europe and it takes a lot of luck to life the trophy. However, I see Real Madrid among the favorites again this year. Ronaldo was important, but he was not pivotal for sure.