La Liga: Reasons Why 2012 Will Be Real Madrid's Year

Finishing the calendar year as leaders of La Liga may be enough of a psychological boost to Real Madrid for them to push on and capture a major trophy come May.

The threat of Barcelona—while always present, particularly after the first Clasico of the league campaign—may not be as great as in recent seasons. Madrid have witnessed their fierce rivals slip up in games where they have triumphed, and they were, for the first time in Pep Guardiola's tenure at Barcelona, seen as underdogs going into the game at the Bernabeu.

But is there enough to suggest that 2012 could be Real Madrid's year?

A side who have vastly improved over the first half of the season, going to great lengths to shorten the canyon-sized gap between the two clubs, and with the form of a number of important figures in the squad besides Cristiano Ronaldo, there is a very real prospect of silverware at the end of the season.

There is no question that Real Madrid have been the stand-out team thus far in the Champions League. Despite rotation, the re-introduction of a number of players who have found themselves on the fringes of the first team and of course, the competition from potentially tricky opponents they have faced in the tournament, Madrid have greatly impressed as they steamed away from their rivals in group D with 18 points.

While rivals Barcelona did experience much tougher opposition in their group through Italian champions AC Milan, it is the manner in which Real Madrid so convincingly got the job done. Prominently, the performances of Jose Callejon in the Champions League alone was enough to convince; the youth team graduate led the club's scoring charts alongside Karim Benzema with four goals each—highlighting the depth, quality and reliability of the Madrid bench.

In spite of Barcelona's dominance in the competition for the last few seasons, there is every reason that Jose Mourinho should feel his side are equipped well enough for the knock-out stages. An always tricky trip to Russia awaits in the last 16, but the quality of Madrid should be more than enough to see off the challenge of CSKA Moscow.

Jose Mourinho's side should also rightfully feel encouraged by the form of Angel Di Maria. The Argentine has been one to receive criticism for his performances last season. Deployed on the flanks to accommodate the central Mesut Ozil, he noticeably struggled for form. But with Mourinho giving him license to drift inside, his performances have greatly increased.

While Di Maria has been at the centre of many of Madrid's finest offerings on the pitch, picking up a number of Man of the Match awards, his performance against Sevilla should be highlighted as one of his most outstanding.

It might be disappointing for the side that coupled with Di Maria's emergence as one of the key players in the starting XI. Mesut Ozil has somewhat waned and no longer has the same influence on the pitch. Often asked to pick up duties which are unfamiliar to him, Ozil's game has obviously suffered for it. But the depth of the squad means Mourinho has plenty of options to overcome a hopefully short-term dip in the German's form.

What can be said—and it has been brought up countless times—is that Real Madrid do not have to beat Barcelona in this league campaign to emerge as champions. Other than the defeat in the Clasico and the two disappointing results very early on in the season against Levante and Racing, Madrid have been doing everything right. They are sweeping aside the teams they should be beating convincingly and are coming out on top in the especially tricky games, such as the away win at Valencia—a game which may prove to be vitally important to the confidence of the side over the course of the season.

Barcelona's shaky form leading up to the game at the Bernabeu was glaringly obvious. They too had faced very determined sides in Unai Emery's Valencia and a particularly frustrating affair against Sevilla's Javi Varas, and yet the champions had no answer for the hurdles that seemed to be a common theme in their games leading up to the tie with Real Madrid.

Lionel Messi has not been as prolific away from home as he has been at the Nou Camp, and the obvious lack of depth in defence has come to haunt Guardiola's side on a number of occasions. At the same time, the problems plaguing David Villa in front of goal have now been exacerbated due to the striker's lengthy spell on the sidelines through injury.

Real Madrid may find that this year could be the clearest path to a title in Mourinho's time at the club. Yes, there will be luck in the draw in the Champions League, but along with Barcelona, there is no question that Madrid have the strongest squad in Europe and should be winning the competition if they avoid their rivals.

Similarly, the notion that Cristiano Ronaldo cannot perform in big games is quite wide of the mark. Would the last match before the winter break against Sevilla not be considered a "big game?" The game where they needed to bounce-back following the disappointment of the Clasico and head into the winter break as leaders of Spain.

Ronaldo, as he has done for much of his time in the capital, finished the game in stunning fashion, capping his performance with four goals—the second of which has to be a contender for goal of the season.

There is plenty of wind in the Real Madrid sails, and there is every reason why 2012 could be their year.