As the clock ticked away in the second half at the Bernabeu and Lyon trailing with only a lone goal (scored in the 6th minute) that sickening feeling of déjà vu was inevitable. You could touch the feeling that Lyon was going to score and Madrid knocked out for the sixth consecutive time in the round of sixteen. As Miralem Pjanic smashed home a 75th-minute equaliser for Lyon there was a post-climactic relief in some sense. With around £250 million spend on new players including a world record £80 million pounds for Ronald, the inevitable outcome of this expensive experiment is that money cannot buy a good soccer team.

It can buy a great deal of flashes, as seen against Sevilla when La blancos were two goals down, turning the game around completely in injury for 3-2 win, with breathe-taking attacking football. May be we were greedy to expect a repeat performance just four days later. But to be fair on financial prowess, money can provide much more than what Madrid is presently offering, if spent wisely. The rise of the English Premier can easily be traced to its wealth and the ability to attract star players. Some may argue that one needs time for players to gel. Right, but Madrid’s flaws are not time dependent. So, where did the most talent team in the world get it so wrong?

The first reason is the clash of philosophy and mere reality. Madrid wants to play attractive football at any cost. But “at any cost” is a huge weakness in modern football. Teams are more technical and bound to play to your weakness. In the second half against Lyon, Playing two strikers that need time and space on the ball provided an incentive for Lyon to put a lot of bodies in the middle of the defence. From the middle of the first half onwards, Ronaldo and Higuain were effectively crowded out and pushed wide with no one in the center to pressure Cris. On the other hand, if there is any hint of a weakness in your defensive, balls will be floated indiscriminately into the 18' yard box to force an error or poor judgement from your players. Or they will soak the pressure while exploiting counter attacks. No team nowadays, except Arsenal keeps the game open for everyone to have a bite. Madrid leak goals and not bulking the defence was a huge flaw in the January transfer window. Next summer is now too late.

Secondly, team formation was disastrously poor. After more than half a season, Madrid didn't have a formation capable of exploiting their immense talent. Playing Ronaldo and Hiquain as a twin strike, with Kaka behind them seem ingenious on paper but essentially prone to failure on the pitch. Ronaldo is winger who can score goals, a lot from set pieces. But that doesn't make him a central striker. Even as a support striker, he can be ineffective because he is dubiously selfish with the ball as he wants everything to revolve around him. Kaka just behind them is an anomaly. He has a lot of vision and as such wants to the ball around the center cicle from where he can initiate the attacking play. This position is none-existent in Madrid, making Kaka a mere passenger, struggling for relevance.

Madrid still has a great team, but the formation has to change. Higuain needs to partner with a true striker, while Ronald and kaka have their freedom in the flanks with Las and Alonso in the middle. The central defence needs bulking up and badly. In the end a good soccer team truly has no price because the team tactics and quality of players needs to be matched rightly.