Real Madrid post-Cristiano Ronaldo is extremely fun

Real Madrid probably isn’t better with Cristiano Ronaldo. He’s one of the best players in the history of the sport, and his individual brilliance got them out of a lot of sticky situations. Inevitably, there will be a big game this season — a Champions League knockout stage match or a Clásico — in which Madrid’s Plan A is not working, and their players look a bit lost without one obvious megastar to feed the ball to.

But there’s a strong possibility that Madrid is going to be more fun without Ronaldo. He’s impossible to replace directly, so Madrid isn’t going to try. Instead, they’re asking a trio of players to up their games a bit, and those three players appear capable of doing so.

Those players — Isco, Gareth Bale, and Marco Asensio — currently look up for the task. It might sound contradictory, but those three are being granted more freedom and more responsibility at the same time. They no longer have to conform to a system built around Ronaldo’s strengths and deficiencies, allowing them to play their own games in a team that’s a bit less restrictive. But at the same time, they know they have to perform. There’s no Ronaldo to take over the game... or absorb all the blame for losses.

That triad delivered in Madrid’s 3-0 Champions League victory over AS Roma on Wednesday. This is ungodly.

And beyond being simply effective, Madrid were just fun. Let’s watch some fantastic clips.

These are the best free kicks, the ones where the goalkeeper doesn’t even bother. He barely moves his feet. He knows that Isco scored the second the ball leaves his foot. I’d tell you the goalkeeper’s name if he attempted to save it, but since he didn’t move, he doesn’t really matter.

And Isco brought more than free kicks against Roma. He was also his team’s best creative passer, and he popped up everywhere on the pitch.

Bale has suffered numerous injuries since he joined Real Madrid, but they don’t seem to have taken away any of his athleticism. He’s still an absolute beast when healthy. And with Ronaldo gone, Madrid’s attack might revolve a bit more around playing Bale into space.

We should mention the assist from Luka Modric too. His role doesn’t appear to be changing much at all in Ronaldo’s absence, but he’s a big reason the team shouldn’t experience much drop-off. Modric looks likely to win the FIFA Best men’s player award for 2018 because of his ability to elevate all of his teammates, whether they’re Ronaldo, Bale, or backups.

This didn’t result in a goal or an assist. Honestly, Asensio was the weakest of Madrid’s attacking players on Wednesday. But...

HE DID THIS. It’s a crime this didn’t result in a goal. It deserved a goal. So few players would try this and most who did would fall over the ball and make an ass out of themselves. This is outrageous.

More of this, please. The new Real Madrid rules.