With the return of the Champions League right around the corner, the remaining European elite teams are trying to obtain good form as soon as possible. Teams like Barcelona and Manchester City have dominated their respective leagues by putting together astounding performances throughout the season. We'd expect those teams to display the same tenacity in the European fixtures as well. Real Madrid, on the other hand, has been struggling in Spain, a team that has won the Champions League for the past two years. Not only are they trailing bitter rivals Barcelona by 19 points, but they're stuck in fourth place on the league table.

Winning the league is out of the question for Los Blancos. If that's not enough to bear for their supporters, Madrid was knocked out of the Copa Del Rey tournament late in January. If Real Madrid still has aspirations to win a trophy this season, it would require them to succeed in the Champions League.

Can Real Madrid perform?

Madrid is expected to play the first leg against Paris Saint-Germain on February 14th. Considering PSG is one of the most frightening teams to match up against this season, Cristiano Ronaldo and company might not have such a sweet Valentine's Day. Paris has displayed quality in both the domestic French league and cup as well as in the Champions League. According to UEFA, PSG broke the record for goals scored in the group stage, smashing a total of 25 goals in just six games Their attacking trio consisting of Neymar, Edinson Cavani, and Kylian Mbappé has been a force to be reckoned with.

Is Ronaldo's form on the decline?

Real Madrid finished second in their group primarily due to a stunning defeat by Tottenham, who commanded group H with 16 points. Although Cristiano Ronaldo managed to tally nine goals in six appearances during the group stage, he's been highly criticized for his lackluster performances in La Liga.

Contrary to his success in the Champions League, Ronaldo has only contributed eight goals in 17 appearances this season, as reported by LaLiga.es. These statistics don't appear strikingly dreadful for an average striker, however, for a player of his stature and value, it is not something you'd expect. According to ESPN, since 2009 when Ronaldo first signed with Madrid, he has averaged over 35.6 goals per season.

This is more than a slump. It's showing that age is not simply a number. Just days after his 33rd birthday, Ronaldo was quoted as saying that he would perform at the "highest level for years to come," but even the star admitted: "I cannot do the things I did when I was 20 years old" -- according to the Daily Mail.

Perhaps his glory days are behind him. Realistically, with the UCL being Real Madrid's only main focus left, can they turn on the switch? It's evident that the team has not strung up any performances that suggest they're capable of doing so, but with a team that has that kind of quality, you surely can't write off the defending champions. With Europe's most prestigious club competition on the line, Real Madrid needs to find consistency in their upcoming games in order to gain some confidence.