article_snippet: Real's malaise has been well documented but this latest chapter, where Real's malaise was hugely fortunate to escape with Real's malaise hands still on the trophy, offered yet more questions than answers.
article_snippet: Make no bones about it - Real was rumbled.
article_snippet: Toppled from the summit by arch rival Barcelona, Real has struggled  in recent weeks for consistency by Real own high standards.
article_snippet: A 4-0 defeat by champion and city rival Atletico in February was difficult to stomach as was the defeat in the Basque country to Athletic Bilbao -- but Real's problems stretch beyond results.
article_snippet: Real began slowly, in fact, slowly would have been an improvement on what was quite a dreadful opening period.
article_snippet: Real, abject in the extreme, appeared bereft of ideas, short on confidence and as if those on the field had merely stumbled upon the stadium's turf without actually meeting one another.
article_snippet: Yet, what followed, was another example of Real's fragility.
article_snippet: While Real continued to threaten in attack, Real remained suspect.
article_snippet: Real, unbeaten at home in the Champions League since April 2011, remained vulnerable, particularly at the heart of the midfield.