Whether it originates within the Spanish media, or from Real Madrid themselves, there appears to be a general feeling that the reigning European champions are not necessarily in awe of the challenge they face in tonight's Champions League final.
Having won the tournament in successive years against the likes of Atletico Madrid and Juventus, the prospect of Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool could be construed as a more welcome opponent. This feeling is not lost on the Real captain, Sergio Ramos.
One of the outstanding players for Real Madrid in recent years, Ramos' late, late equaliser against Atletico Madrid in the 2014 Champions League final would have been enough to endear him to the club's fans indefinitely.
However, on the cusp of now claiming his fourth European title with the club, the Spanish World Cup-winner has not been shy when it comes to discussing the club (and players) that stand in his way.
With so much of the pre-match conversation centering around Real's Cristiano Ronaldo and Liverpool's Mohamed Salah, Ramos, as quoted in The Times, has no doubts about who he would rather be playing with:
Comparing players with Ronaldo and Messi is something you can’t do. Quite frankly, they’re in another orbit.
Not merely satisfied with heralding Ronaldo's ability, Ramos is wary of indulging players who are merely "in fashion, those who come and go."
Suggesting that Salah is "a top player," Ramos doesn't believe that he can be spoken of in the same breadth of Ronaldo just yet.
In their hunt for three-in-a-row, Real Madrid are looking to achieve a feat that has not been carried out since Franz Beckenbauer's Bayern Munich managed it in the mid-1970s. Wary of potential complacency, Ramos was quick to scupper such a development:
We want to defend our title again and we want to make history. We hit the reset button every year and look forward. We don’t look behind us. It is our moment.
