Real Madrid or Barcelona, who is better set for future success? Three factors working in Los Blancos favor

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As the dust settles on the Champions League quarterfinals, Barcelona and Real Madrid have both bowed out of the competition to give us a UCL semifinal without either of the two Spanish giants for only the second time since the 2006-07 season. While there is still LaLiga representation in the final four of the competition in Atletico Madrid, these are sides that have defined Champions League soccer over the years, and both now need to reinvent their style in order to end their droughts next season.

But when looking at the duo, while Barcelona may be better placed to win LaLiga this season, who is the side best placed to win the Champions League next? Let's take a look from top to bottom to see how they grade out against each other:

Coaching

Hansi Flick has gotten Barcelona back to being regulars in the later stages of Champions League play, but it's tough to say that Barcelona can win the competition with him at the helm. Players and managers left and right have noted that the Barcelona high line makes it easier for them to gameplan for facing the team, and they've done nothing to combat that. When Plan A and Plan B are simply to attack harder while neglecting defense—especially since Barcelona lacks the defenders to execute this properly (more on that later)—the system falls apart. If Flick isn't going to adjust that, it's hard to see how Barcelona will win a Champions League title with him as manager.

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On the Real Madrid side of things, Álvaro Arbeloa was brought in to steady the ship, and in a way, he did that. But given injuries and not being a tactician, he was only able to do so much. Falling out of the Champions League and the Copa del Rey while also losing ground on Barcelona in the league, this performance hasn't been good enough to call for extending Arbeloa for another season. With plenty of managers, including Mauricio Pochettino, on the market after the World Cup, Real Madrid will have their pick of the market during the summer, and it will mean going back to square one after hiring Xabi Alonso ahead of the Club World Cup last summer, as they continue their search for stability.