Cristiano's departure to Juventus in 2018 was not only a blow for Madrid fans, but it is also representing a decisive loss for the white team in the Champions League. Since the Portuguese left for Italy, Madrid have not made it past the last 16 of the Champions League and are at risk of falling into the group stage for the first time in their history. In fact, In the last three seasons, Madrid have already lost more games in the opening round of the Champions League than in the nine seasons that the Portuguese star played in the Whites' ranks and with whom he won four Orejonas.
The 13-time European champion is experiencing an ordeal in the Champions League for the last three editions. After having won three consecutive European Cups, the round of 16 has become their peak. If with Cristiano the group stage was practically a mere procedure, since the Portuguese has left to pass that round it is costing Madrid some suffering. This is how it shows the fact of the whites added five defeats after the march of the '7' to Juve, while in their nine seasons as white they had only lost three.
Madrid's five defeats in the group stage of the three post-Cristiano Champions League are divided as follows: two in the 2020-21 season (both against Shakhtar), one in 2019-20 (PSG) and two in 2018-19 (both against CSKA). On the other hand, in Cristiano's stage in Madrid, the white team from Acabán undefeated six group stages and only lost one match in each of the other three: against Tottenham in 2017-18 (3-1), against Borussia Dortmund in 2012-13 (2-1) and against Milan in 2009-10 (2-3).