Break allows time to sort Real troubles

For a club in thrall to history Real Madrid departed the empty Olympic Stadium on Wednesday night quietly satisfied they avoided writing a new chapter in theirs.

Had Real not overcome the quaint effort of Roma's under-strength team it would have been the first time in their Champions League experience that they had not qualified from the group stage.

By entering the last 16 that worrisome landmark has been avoided, yet if Madrid fail in the first knockout tie they will have confirmed what many in Spain believe to be decline.

Three seasons ago Real won their ninth European Cup, beating Bayer Leverkusen, who have just finished above them in Group B, at Hampden Park.

The following year they reached the semi-final, losing to Juventus 4-3 on aggregate, and last year they lost to Monaco on away goals in the quarter-finals. Final, semi, quarter: defeat in the last 16 would continue the sequence.

In Rome Real had the benefit of circumstances. Had Roma been able to control their supporters there might have been a different outcome to their opening game against Dynamo Kiev and Roma fans would have been allowed into the matches against Bayer Leverkusen and Madrid.

Dodgy Italian goalkeeping and ropy Dutch refereeing also conspired to aid Madrid, who won 3-0.

Marca was not impressed. "For those people who like to see the glass half-empty, Real Madrid were like the stadium - lacking both content and fundamentals," Spain's biggest-selling daily said. "They have no skill.

"For those who like the glass half-full, they are through to the knockout round and have several months to rediscover their best football."

And the two months to the next phase means Real do have time to conjure some fluency. Raul might rediscover himself and, if not, then Michael Owen, again a substitute on Wednesday, should get a chance.

David Beckham, peripheral in Rome playing centrally or on the right, also has time to find form.

Who Real get in the draw will also affect the atmosphere around the club. They know another Italian team is likely and Real also know their win over Roma was only their fourth on Italian soil in 22 attempts in the European Cup.