Barcelona legend Xavi expects Real Madrid to bounce back from a disappointing campaign last season, adding that his former rivals have "a thousand lives" and that prior struggles have just been "a mirage".
Real Madrid sputtered through Julen Lopetegui's and Santiago Solari's tenures last campaign before Zinedine Zidane triumphantly returned towards the end of the season.
By that point, it was too late, as the club finished third in La Liga, 19 points behind Barcelona, while also suffering a shock Champions League elimination to Ajax in their first knockout tie.