As far as I remember in the previous season also, that Real Madrid did not have good results in the group stage. But, in the knockout phase, Real Madrid really had very good results and of course, Real Madrid's results in the group stage and in the knockout phase last season were very different. Thus, maybe at this moment it will happen again but unfortunately, this season has a different format so that the team that only finishes in the top 24 and not in the top 8, then the team that finishes in the top 24 will go through the play-off round before entering the last 16. Thus, at least they will only have a tighter schedule and of course, it may also affect the fitness of each player. But yes,the point is that Real Madrid still has a chance to qualify further, I personally do not doubt the quality that Real Madrid has.
Maybe what you remember is the two previous seasons, namely the 2022-23 season. Because Real Madrid last season in the UCL was truly extraordinary. because they were even unbeaten in the group stage at that time. Meanwhile, in the 2022-23 season, they did experience a bit of inconsistency at that time, although it wasn't as bad as it is now. Meanwhile, I think this season is the worst season for Real Madrid. And it's been a while since Real Madrid were this bad in the UCL. And this happened when the new format was implemented. but the problem doesn't seem to be the new format but that Real Madrid is experiencing several obstacles such as adapting in the attack line after the arrival of Mbappe. And they have problems at the back due to injuries to their defenders.
But I also still believe that Real Madrid will still be able to qualify for the next stage even though they have to go through the play-off round. But this team is a strong team so it feels a little unbelievable to see Real Madrid eliminated too quickly.