Real Madrid Recapture Champions League Brilliance, but Defensive Issues Remain

More than any other club, Real Madrid has a special connection with the Champions League.

In the competition's history, no club has featured as often, won as regularly, scored as prolifically or lifted the title on as many occasions. That La Decima was captured in May has only heightened Los Blancos' obsession with continental dominance.

And while the club, for all its wealth and resources, has perhaps underachieved domestically, unrivalled brilliance has typically followed Real's path through Europe—a theme that continued in a somewhat paradoxical 5-1 thrashing of Basel at the Bernabeu on Tuesday. 

In a display that contained a plethora of characteristically swift attacks, Carlo Ancelotti's side overwhelmed a vastly inferior opponent; a six-minute burst in the opening half reminded all of Real's potency despite recent skepticism. 

Following Marek Suchy's own goal, Luka Modric chipped an outside-of-the-boot pass (superlatives couldn't do it justice) to Gareth Bale, who lobbed Tomas Vaclik before tapping home the team's second, reminding Tottenham fans in the process of what could have been. 

Minutes later, Modric, relishing the space afforded to him in midfield, found Bale again, who whipped a ball to the feet of Cristiano Ronaldo, who hammered home a third. 

A fourth to James Rodriguez followed just as quickly, capping off another brisk move forward.

And when Ronaldo majestically danced his way through the visitors' defence to tee up Karim Benzema late on, a breathtaking exhibition of attacking football had—rather timely—been completed, easing the palpable tension that had existed inside the glitzy Bernabeu following Saturday's 2-1 defeat to Atletico Madrid. 

"

What a goal by Karim Benzema. Brilliant play. https://t.co/PuH0UAtdYt

— Transfer Related (@TransferRelated) September 16, 2014"

But Tuesday's victory wasn't flawless. Far from it, in fact. Basel found the back of the Madrid net with alarming ease on one occasion. It could have easily been twice. Three times, even.

The conceded goal saw Sergio Ramos forced to step out into midfield—leaving the defence scrambling—as Basel waltzed through the centre of the pitch with Real's supposed anchor, Toni Kroos, caught woefully out of position.

Modric, too, was guilty of negligence. As supreme as he was going forward, the Croatian committed an array of errors that almost cost the hosts dearly—most notably a thoughtless bicycle kick that set Marco Streller loose and a careless give-away deep in his own half that gave Basel a threatening three-on-two.

Denis Doyle/Getty Images

Elsewhere under the lights, Iker Casillas—cheered and whistled at in equal measure by his own fans—was forced into action on several occasions. Full-backs Marcelo and Nacho pushed forward with typical abandon, and Rodriguez was regularly found well advanced, almost forming a front four alongside Real's trio of forwards.

It was the sort of high-stakes stuff we're used to from Real Madrid—an enchanting show of attacking flair interspersed with moments that will forever puzzle. 

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What's for certain is that there'll be plenty more nights like Tuesday in the months ahead, both in the Champions League and La Liga. Basel won't be the only outfit to succumb to Real's extraordinary attacking armoury this season.

Yet, the dynamic at the Bernabeu in 2014-15 will mean there's little margin for error for Ancelotti's men.

As ESPN FC's Gabriele Marcotti pointed out, the European champions have no choice but to play this way—to push forward with no thought for consequence, to abandon defensive principles in the search of endless goals.

Such a situation, stemming from misguided activity in the summer transfer window, is self-inflicted. Not by Ancelotti, of course, but by president Florentino Perez. He impulsively brought Rodriguez and Kroos to the Spanish capital in characteristic fashion, forcing indispensable stars such as Angel Di Maria and Xabi Alonso out the door, stripping the manager of his finest pair of two-way players. 

One can scarcely find an ounce of logic in such deals. 

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Prior to Tuesday's clash with Basel, the Daily Mail's Pete Jenson reflected on a conversation between Perez and former Real Madrid sporting director Arrigo Sacchi, which took place during the club's first Galactico era. It was a time when Los Blancos had followed the signings of Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo with that of David Beckham.

Sacchi, it is suggested, asked the president for his starting XI. With the extreme array of attacking talent residing in the squad, Perez had Zindane at centre-back and Beckham at right-back. 

Nothing could sum up Real Madrid under the current president any better. But it's what Ancelotti and his players must contend with. It's their job to win, no matter how Perez disturbs the balance and neglects one half of the game.

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Indeed, Tuesday's display will have been exactly what Perez had in mind this summer: winning in style, and doing so amid a cocktail of scoring records, notoriety and financial dominance. 

But should his team continue to defend in their current manner, Ancelotti will be fully aware that the winning is far from guaranteed. 

"I feel like a coach who has to fix things," the Italian had said earlier in the day, per Sid Lowe of The Guardian. 

Based on the sparkling attacking performance against Basel, there's only one aspect of his team's play he needs to fix, but it's an extremely significant aspect nonetheless.