Sporting Gijon 0-1 Real Madrid
Bring it on!
Real Madrid battled past 19 fouls, 6 yellow cards, a red card and an extremely hostile atmosphere at El Molinon to grab three points thanks to a solitary Gonzalo Higuain goal to silence Manolo Preciado and the Sporting fans and regain the top spot in the Primera Division table. It was once again Karim Benzema who played the super sub role as it was his effort that led to the eventual goal eight minutes from time. Iker Casillas proved for the umpteenth time that he is still the best goalkeeper in the world by making yet another top notch save from a David Barral header which could have easily been Sporting’s equalizer. We were jeered, booed and whistled continually by the crowd but the players remained focus to finish the job off which was particularly important considering all the happenings prior to the game.
Valdano said it all about the game when he remarked that the match had more fighting than actual playing in it. Preciado’s men’s attitude was crystal clear. They went for the players from the word go and it looked as though the only place where they wouldn’t foul was their own penalty box. But that failed to bother our men as they proved that they too had mettle and the first chance of the game came within the first ten minutes. Ozil’s lay off from Pepe’s pass found Higuain’s run perfectly but Pipita’s low drive across goal met the post and went straight to Juan Pablo’s hands. And that was as close as we would get in the first half as Sporting failed to let us settle. But we did trouble their defense constantly with Ronaldo and Di Maria doing a fair bit of dribbling going past three to four defenders at a time only to be fouled by all three or at least one of them. Real then tried the aerial route with Di Maria repeatedly crossing in from the right but sadly all of them were cleared easily by Sporting’s defense. One other disappointment were our set pieces. There were a lot of free kicks that we won and from a few good positions. The fact that we were not able to materialize any says a lot about that side of our game. Real continued to attack and Sporting continued to throw whatever they had at us. Hell, even their fans started throwing stuff. But Real saw them all off. The game was still 0-0 with a half to be played.
Following the interval, four minutes into the second half, Di Maria brought out the best from Juan Pablo from a wonderful shot that was going into the top corner after he had cut in from the right. All this reminded me of last season when Real were repeatedly denied by Juan Pablo as Sporting held on to a 0-0 draw. The game did have a lighter side to it, believe it or not, when Sergio Ramos was asked to leave the field for sporting number 4 on his jersey and number 3 on his shorts. How he ended up wearing Pepe’s shorts, I dunno. With 63 minutes gone Real brought on Karim Benzema for Angel Di Maria to give a different dimension to our attack. Di Maria was active when he was on the field but I am sure the management had the physical nature of this game in mind when they made the replacement. Juan Pablo continued to save the blushes for Sporting as he brought about yet another splendid save this time to deny Gonzalo Higuain who only had the keeper between himself and the goal. Sporting would have gone ahead a minute later when Sangoy fired just wide of the far post after being put through. But that was just an one-off chance as with quarter of an hour to play Juan Pablo was made to deny Real again this time through Benzema’s shot from outside the box. It did look like one of those nights when things didn’t go well and Sporting made a couple of changes bringing in Barral and De Las Cuevas for Carmelo and Sangoy.
The last ten minutes brought about all the exciting moments of the game. Firstly we went ahead in the 82nd minute when Karim Benzema powerfull headed Sergio Ramos’ cross which Juan Pablo could only scupper leading to Higuain tapping in from inside the six yard box. A minute later Iker Casillas showed the world why we call him St.Iker when he reacted in a lightning quick manner to deny a darting header from David Barral. That sapped out all the confidence that Sporting had of scoring. Lass came on for Higuain in the 84th minute to stabilize the defensive side of the midfield and Arbeloa replaced Ozil in the 88th minute further solidify the defense. Three minutes into added time Botia made a deliberate foul on Ronaldo to earn a direct red. Ronaldo clamored “Mas, Mas” in the bring it on sense but that was as much as what was left in the game. Our players celebrated the sending off as much as they celebrated the goal and the game ended 1-0 in favor of the good side.
Following the game Ronnie spoke about the coach:
The coach gave us the right instructions despite not being with us on the pitch. He deserves the victory. We scored late, but we scored. It was a tough game ad we showcased a good attitude. We had many chances on goal. We played to win and we don’t care about anything else that may have happened. We are proud of this victory.
And the captain spoke about the crowd and the coach.
The game was complicated for many reasons, such as the comments made before the match, the atmosphere at the stadium… We stepped up to the challenge and earned three vital points. In all fairness, the atmosphere tonight was hostile. The home crowd supported its team 100%, which is normal. We responded well to that. Regarding what was said, I limit myself to defending my coach. I respect other opinions, but I do not share them. I stand by my coach, who is the best.
But to me it was Higuain who summed it all up perfectly.
It was a very tough game given the atmosphere at the stadium and everything that happened on the pitch. We expected it, but we won and took three vital points. We knew Barcelona didn’t drop points yesterday and we had to win. This is a very important victory because points like these may decide the title. It’s important for us to be leaders when we play at the Camp Nou. I was substituted soon after scoring, but that’s up to the coach. What matters is I’m very happy with my performance.
It couldn’t have been better written. We needed three points from a crucial game. We knew that it would be tough. We also knew that it is games like these that win you titles. And we did a good job. The only worry coming out of the game would be that Carvalho picked up an ankle knock during the course of the game and the extent of the niggle remains to be seen. But I doubt if it would culminate to be anything serious.
Right then, the international break is on and with Portugal playing Spain and England playing France it should be fun to watch. The players have been given a well deserved rest for a couple of days and should be back by Tuesday. But that’s not gonna stop me from writing. Before I sign off here are the match stats.
Match Stats:
Lineups:
Sporting de Gijón: Juan Pablo, Lora, Gregory, José Ángel, Botía, Rivera, Diego Castro, Eguren (Luis Morán 88′), Carmelo (De las Cuevas 73′), Nacho Novo, Sangoy (David Barral 80′);
Real Madrid: Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Ricardo Carvalho, Marcelo, Khedira, Xabi Alonso, Özil (Arbeloa 91′), Cristiano Ronaldo, Di María (Benzema 66′), Higuaín (Lassana Diarra 86′);
Goals:
0-1, 84’: Higuaín;
Referee: Turienzo Alvarez
Booked: Diego Castro Gimenez (11), Gonzalo Higuaín (35), Gonzalez Carmelo (45), Sami Khedira (45), Sebastián Eguren (72), Alberto Ramos (82), Miguel de las Cuevas (89), Luis Morán (89)
Sent Off: Alberto Botía (90)
Notes: 2010/2011 Spanish Primera División
Played at: El Molinón
Men of the match: Iker Casillas, Cristiano Ronaldo
Sporting Gijon vs Real Madrid | Preview
Feisty affair on the cards
Real Madrid will face Sporting Gijon at El Molinon later tonight in round 11 of La Liga in what would be a feisty and fiery affair in the Asturian town considering all the pre-match havoc caused by both the managers thanks to some fairly good bad-mouthing. Real Madrid have not lost at Gijon since Raul’s debut season under Jorge Valdano in 1994 – a season which saw Real end up as League winners. But that has nothing to do with the game tonight as we all saw last season when Gijon were able to successfully though scrappily keep Real from netting for 90 plus minutes in the corresponding fixture. They might deploy the same strategy this season as well but we can expect them to be a lot more physical than they generally are as this game has past the stage when it was a totally on-the-field battle.
Real Madrid go into the game as league leaders and are currently on a 5 match winning streak. They will be looking to get their sixth on the trot but will have to do so without the likes of Kaka, Gago, Canales, Garay, Mateos and Dudek. Apart from these injured players we will also be missing Jose Mourinho, though only from the touchline as the Special One is serving a two-match ban for his sending off against Murcia. And that I feel will be crucial. Mourinho as we all know is very active on the touchline continually issuing orders to his players and spurring them on and his absence will and should definitely be felt. Aitor Karanka will take his place and I am sure there will be a lot of communication between Jose and his number two irrespective of how far apart they are. Someone who will be there and for the first time with the senior squad would be Fernando Pacheco who won his first call up to the senior team following the injury to Dudek. I still wonder why Mourinho prefers having three goalkeepers in his squad list.
Goalkeepers: Casillas, Adan, Fernando Pacheco
Defenders: Carvalho, Pepe, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, Arbeloa, Albiol
Midfielders: Granero, Xabi Alonso, Diarra, Pedro Leon, Khedira, Ozil, Di Maria, Lass
Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo, Higuain, Benzema
Sporting on the other hand have no injury worries and should line up full strength, if they do have hopes of beating us. What Real have to worry about is the fact that even though Sporting clearly don’t have enough in them to beat the top teams in the league, they do have the ability to cling on for a draw. They don’t mind parking the team bus in front of their goal and they don’t mind making it look dirty. They have creditable draws against Villareal, Atheltic, Sevilla and Mallorca and lost to Barca just by a goal’s margin clearly indicating their attitude towards these big games – just don’t drop three points. It will probably be tougher for us considering the reception we are bound to receive. Alberto Lora, arguably their best player, both agrees and disagrees with me.
Strategically I don’t think there are any specifics that we need to attend to. We will be reverting back to our usual line up. And that’s one good thing about this season. Our strategy for every game has been standard. We are making our opponents do changes to the way they play unlike the last few seasons when we used to change our line up based on the threats. I feel that this solidarity plays a critical role in the development of the team as a whole. I am not against changing formations but it is always better to stick with one and persist with it until and unless the situation calls for it.
Los Rojiblancos meet los Merengues at 19:00 CET and the match will be refereed by Turienzo Alvarez and I hope he can protect our players from the physical endurance that they might face. We cannot risk going back home with injured players at this crucial stage. A draw does seem probable but I surely feel it isn’t possible. Real are on a roll and nothing is going to change tonight.
Para Siempre Blanco!
Hala Madrid!!
Real Madrid 2-0 Atletico Madrid
Carvalho carried the team on this shoulders for most of the game. Here he is seen carrying Di Maria.
Real Madrid remain at the top of the Primera Division table after securing yet another regulation derby victory over Los Rojiblancos. Ricardo Carvalho scored his second goal in White and Mesut Ozil added to the scoreline from a clever free-kick with both goals coming within the first 20 minutes of the game. But as many suggest the game was marred by the lack of competition offered by the men in red and white stripes which is just another way of saying Real were at their dominating best and gave Atleti no chance of getting back into the game.
We are Atletico Madrid, and we go to the Bernabeu to win. This year we have self-esteem in place, and our goal is to enter the Champions League. For this we need things to work and to go our way.
So said Quique Sanchez Flores prior to the game. As ambitious as it might sound to you it is clear that Atleti are clearly not bothered about the league title. All that they are playing for is a top 4 finish which they probably will get even if they drop all points against the top sides in Spain. But then again the gulf in quality between the two sides seemed so large that even if Atleti had wanted to stay in the game they couldn’t have. Having said that this was probably one of the toughest games we have had to play season considering the fact that Atletico breached our defense on several occasions and St.Iker had to make more saves than he had had to make in any other game of this season.
Real kicked off the game in usual fashion with Di Maria on the right and Ronaldo on the left and looking dangerous right from the first minute of the game. Forlan as expected returned to the line up and several eyes were on De Gea as many expect him to succeed Iker as the Spanish National Team’s custodian. And he would be tested as early as in the third when Xabi Alonso swung in a corner from the left for Pepe to hand our neighbors the first warning with a header which somewhat went straight at De Gea. The 80, 000 fans were at their hostile best and so was Real as in a few minutes later Ronaldo showed quick feet to find Di Maria in the box whose darting shot could only be scuppered by De Gea with the rebound falling straight to an offside Sami Khedira.
The first goal then came. In the thirteenth minute, former Madridista Jose Antonio Reyes was dispossessed by Xabi Alonso in midfield and the ball fell straight to Ricardo Carvalho who kick started yet another Real Madrid attack by passing to Higuain and continued his darting run into the box. The Argentine while trying to get past a couple of Atleti players lost the ball only to fellow Argentine Di Maria whose slightly deflected pass to Carvalho was met by the Portuguese center half. Carvalho made no mistake and expertly finished the move to net his second goal for Real Madrid and clearly hammered the all important first nail in Atletico’s coffin. And within a couple of minutes Real should have doubled the lead through Pipita when Ronaldo sent him through. But he could only find De Gea’s long legs with his shot. Carvalho was on hand post-game to comment on the game, saying:
My goal was important. I got lucky. We are playing well and it was important to win this match. We cannot let points leave the Bernabeu.
And we didn’t. The final nail in the coffin would come a few minutes later, six to be precise. Sergio Ramos lofted a ball over Atleti’s defense for Cristiano who was marked by Dominguez. The defender fouled CR just outside the edge of their box on the right for the referee to award a free kick in favor of the Whites. Even though at first glance it just didn’t seem like a foul I have to say that Ronaldo is quick and even the slightest obstacle can bring him down pretty easily. And to everyone’s surprise the Portuguese did not line up for the free-kick. It was between Xabi and Ozil and it would be the German who would take it. Ozil’s low and curling drive defeated the Atletico custodian comprehensively going in at the far post. There were three important things to be noted with respect to this goal. Firstly, it was Reyes’ mistake again as he was Atleti’s first line of defense behind the wall and he failed to clear the low shot. To put it in a nutshell Reyes was clearly outsmarted by Ozil. Secondly, Florentino Perez’s reaction to the goal. It was clearly a “Suck on that, Gil!” kind of reaction something that you rarely see our President do. Our First Lady too seemed delighted with Ozil’s masterclass. And finally, the man himself, Mesut Ozil kissing Real Madrid’s crest. And that is what concerns me. I am a very, what you could call, conservative fan. I really do believe that kissing the crest is something that you should do only when you are Hierro-esque or Maldini-istic or Raul-ish kind of a player. Seeing Ozil do that did bring tears in my eyes as I see him as the future of this club. But if he does leave the club he would then become a cunt which I hope doesn’t happen. I hope you get my point here.
Anyhoo, moving on with the game (which was virtually over by then), Reyes the root cause for both the goals shifted the blame on to the team as a whole in what I feel was a clever move. Real’s hero of the 31st League title said during the post match presser that:
Their goals arrived from our mistakes. The first goal was a blow, but the second knocked us for six. It was hard for us to recover, but little by little we got back into the match and we had chances to get a goal.
Yeah, yeah. If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, we’d all have a merry Christmas.
Even though we did not have that many problems defensively there was one thing which I noticed. Almost all of their chances were created from the wings, more from their right than the left. I know that Marcelo is far better than what he was last season, defensively that is. But then again is that enough? If he is going to struggle to keep Reyes and Simao quiet I doubt what would be the case when he faces the likes of Messi, Muller and so on. Patrice Evra apparently is interested in the job, but then again he is a cunt and we need no cunts. Little Marcel is learning a lot though, which he admits:
I am learning a lot playing next to Pepe and Carvalho. Playing with such experienced players boosts my confidence.
As the match neared the half an hour mark Atletico were piling the pressure on Real with several half chances. And then they almost had a penalty. Simao’s corner from the left eventually fell to Aguero on the half volley. Maradona’s son-in-law’s shot struck Xabi Alonso on the hand in what was a completely involuntary incident. Xabi clearly had no intention of blocking the shot with his hand and it did seem like a clear accident. And thankfully the referee either didn’t see it or didn’t give two hooping hoots about it. But since that was their only real chance of getting back into the game all that Reyes could do was blame it all on that single incident.
Then came the penalty against Xabi Alonso due to a clear handball. It could have been a penalty and a red card. The match would’ve been very different.
Different, my ass.
Reyes’ effort from the edge of our box was saved well by Casillas while we ourselves should have had a penalty for Simao’s 50:50 challenge on Di Maria inside their box. And that’s just about it. The chances just stopped coming towards the last fifteen minutes of the first half for both sides.
The second half started and Real immediately signaled their intent to score as many as they possibly can. Ozil cross from the left fell perfectly for Higuain to volley it against the post from just inside the box. The ball fell harmlessly for a goal kick. That was probably the only good chance that Higuain had throughout the game. It’d be harsh to say that Pipita had a poor game as the supply just was not there. Ozil was excellent throughout the game mesmerizing their defense from time to time. But he too couldn’t provide much to our offense. Di Maria had an average game considering the standards that he has set himself. But Ronaldo, I felt, was pathetic. He wasted possession by taking lame ass shots almost every time he had the ball in attack and all his crosses fell to no one. But the manager was happy with his performance or at least that is what he told the world.
Ronaldo is a team player. I can’t expect him to score all the time and steal the ball in the midfield and score. He is a difference maker. If he works as hard as he does, I cannot demand anything more from him. I am more than satisfied with his work. He is a great player and I am thrilled to habe him.
Well, even though it is sort of a round about way of saying “he works hard but just isn’t able to do anything” I should say that I unequivocally agree with JM. Ronaldo is indeed a difference maker. You can somehow feel it when he isn’t there in the game. His mere presence somehow seems to boost the rest of the players. The same applies to Kaka as well. I guess that’s what makes them superstars.
Before I start jizzing over them let me finish off what I started. On the hour mark, Atletico came closest to scoring a goal. Yet another corner from the left was cleared by our defense but only as far as Forlan who was outside the box. His Mendieta/Scholes like volley was low and hard and struck the post. A few inches to the right and it probably would have beaten St.Iker. A few minutes later Marcelo released Mesut Ozil with a superb pass from our own half. The German, tracked by former Madridista Filipe Luis, had his shot blocked resulting in a corner. A half-chance as it may be, it should have been finished off.
Atleti made the first change of the game bringing in Raul Garcia on for Tiago Mendes. And a few minutes later Real made theirs as Karim Benzema came on for Gonzalo Higuain. The game was starting to get a little boring so to speak and I started dozing off. Flores brought on Diego Costa for Sabrosa Simao to liven things up but hell it only got worse. Carvalho, who by far was probably our best player on the pitch, had to be taken off as he sustained a jagged left lower eyelid bruise with mild concussion. He was replaced by Albiol and things were no different. Momo Diarra too came on and for Di Maria indicating that the match would only get slower and might even come to a standstill.
Mourinho, speaking post-game, said that he wanted to make things slower and for us to get a hold of the game. He justified his move by admitting that Atletico were by far the team that gave us maximum trouble at home. Hell, this guy is always right and no wonder the game put me to sleep.
We were up against an opponent who obligated us to hold onto the ball and think defensively. We slowed the pace in the second half in order to control the game, not because of fatigue. We ended up with Diarra, Alonso and Khedira on the pitch; players who slow the pace and control the open spaces.
The team that has given us the most trouble at the Bernabeu was Atletico. We have played against some good teams like Milan, but when you’re up against Reyes, Simao, Kun and Forlan, you are up against four of the best players in the league. These four players create two-on-two plays and have great dynamic with one another. Good players and a good coach. These were three crucial points. You cannot beat Atletico by six or seven.
We could have scored five though, through Marcelo, Khedira, Benzema and Ronaldo respectively. But all the shots were saved by De Gea. Sergio Ramos had the best chance to extend our lead. Xabi’s cross came on perfectly for Ramos, who was completely unmarked in Atleti’s box, but he couldn’t hit the target with his header from close range.
And that was that. Real Madrid have not lost to Atletico Madrid in 18 games now over a 11 year time period. My man of the match choice was easy and pretty much universal. Ricardo Carvalho had a fantastic evening and surely he is on of our best signings of recent times. Valdano summed up pretty much whatever I want to say:
Carvalho deserves a lot of credit for his goal. His confidence is soaring. He even moved into attack in search of the goal. His defensive duties today were unbeatable and he left with a warm round of applause.
Match Stats:
Lineups:
Real Madrid: Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Marcelo, Ricardo Carvalho (Albiol 83′), Khedira, Xabi Alonso, Özil, Di María (Mahamadou Diarra 83′), Cristiano Ronaldo, Higuaín (Benzema 74′);
Atletico Madrid: De Gea, Valera, Ujfalusi, Domínguez, Filipe Luis, M. Suárez, Reyes, Tiago (Raúl García 69′), Simao (Diego Costa 76′), Forlán, Agüero;
Goals:
1-0, 13’: Carvalho;
2-0, 19’: Ozil
Notes: Week 10 of La Liga
Played at: Santiago Bernabeu Stadium
Attendance: 80,000
Referee: Mr. Mateu Lahoz
Booked: Tiago (66), Mario Suárez (61), Sami Khedira (72), Ricardo Carvalho (76)
Man of the match: Ricardo Carvalho
Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid | Preview
Ronaldo, back to his diving best, would be threatening Atleti in more than one way surely.
And finally its here. Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid square off at the Bernabeu tonight at 22:00 CET in the Madrid derby – a game which in recent times has been more of a cakewalk than anything else. We haven’t lost to our dear neighbors at home over the last eleven years and will look to maintain that and our undefeated streak by clinching all three points at stake tonight.
Real come into this game with a 2-2 draw at the San Siro that sent it through to the next round of the Champions League with two games to spare. With the Copa Del Rey game coming up on Wednesday the players will have to roll up their sleeves and get ready to work as like JM himself suggested in last evening’s presser no derby is ever easy. Atletico do have the players to do the job for them and as they have suggested time and again (even if it isn’t against us) they can pull a surprise over any team in this world.
Atletico is a very talented team in attack, they have a great midfield, their defense will be very focused and it’s unfortunate that their goalkeeper holds the same passport as Iker Casillas. It’s a very talented team that will make us fight for our lives.
And the players should indeed fight for their lives especially if they want to play more regularly. Mourinho clearly has a single set of XI players whom he thinks are the best XI to be fielded. Even though there is ample talent on the bench it is up to those players to displace the starters. And JM agrees. The likes of Granero, Benzema, Pedro Leon, Albiol are all excellent players who are fit to play in all the top sides in the world. But this is Real Madrid. And to be more specific, this is Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid. The player has to prove himself to get a ticket into the starting XI.
Today’s starters will be tomorrow’s subs, and today’s subs will be tomorrow’s starters. There is no set protocol here. This is not the same team to be used for eleven months. This is a day-to-day team.
Twenty players were called up to face Atletico tonight. Kaka, Dudek and Garay are apparently the only ones still injured while Lass, Gago and Mateos have been dropped for tactical reasons. Real will definitely start with the same XI that started midweek. The 4-2-3-1 formation will be retained. Considering Atleti’s weakness in the center of the field our midfielders will get to operate more freely and should have no problems creating chances. The only problems that we might face should come from the wings with Reyes and Simao against Marcelo and Sergio Ramos. Our full backs should concentrate more on defending than usual.
REAL MADRID SQUAD LIST
Goalkeepers: Casillas, Adan, Isaac.
Defenders: Carvalho, Pepe, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, Arbeloa, Albiol.
Midfielders: Granero, Xabi Alonso, Diarra, Pedro Leon, Khedira, Ozil, Di Maria, Canales.
Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo, Higuain, Benzema.
Quique Sanchez Flores meanwhile will be forced to make some changes with Godin and Asenjo unavailable due to injury and Perea serving a one-match suspension. He can however count on the services of Jose Antonio Reyes and Jorge Pulido. Forlan who hasn’t scored for 11 games running was benched midweek against Rosenborg. He probably would be returning to the side. De Gea has widely been acclaimed as the next Casillas. He will definitely play a vital role if Atleti are to get anything out of the game.
A win would keep us on top of the table and keep the momentum that we have gathered going. That’s what matters the most – to keep things running.
Let’s go and get them lads!
This is definitely a short preview but what the hell it really does not matter.
Until next time,
Para Siempre Blanco!
Hala Madrid!!
Hercules CF 1-3 Real Madrid
Karim Benzema (#9) produced a stellar performance in the 13 minutes that he was given.
Real Madrid remain at the top of the table and will remain there until next week at least as a late brace from Cristiano Ronaldo helped Los Merengues stage a marvelous comeback after going a goal down just three minutes into the game. Trezeguet’s header in the second minute was neutralized eight minutes into the second half when Calatayud spilled Ronaldo’s shot from range only for Angel Di Maria to tuck in the rebound. Real had to wait till the eighty second minute to take the lead through Cristiano Ronaldo after the Portuguese was assisted by Karim Benzema who played a pivotal role after coming on late in the second half. Ronaldo sealed the victory with another goal through yet another assist from Benzema three minutes later making sure that Jose Mourinho’s men left the Jose Rico Perez with all three points in the bag.
Jose Mourinho made seven changes to the side that started against Murcia midweek in the Copa Del Rey with Carvalho, Marcelo, Khedira, Alonso, Ozil, Di Maria and Higuain replacing Albiol, Arbeloa, Diarra, Granero, Canales, Pedro Leon and Benzema respectively. Real stuck to the usual 4-2-3-1 formation with the trio of Ronaldo, Ozil and Di Maria playing behind Higuain. Hercules deployed a similar formation which saw Trezeguet play the central role up front just ahead of Valdez, Tiago and Thomert.
Hercules dominated the first couple of minutes and were given a dream start when Cortes’ cross from the right was met by a waiting David Trezeguet. The former Juventus man’s looping header defeated Saint Iker raising questions as to why there wasn’t a single white shirt challenging for the ball inside our own box. And as a result Real Madrid went down by a goal for the first time this season. A comeback was mandatory if three points had to be taken.
The fan support for the Alicante club was tremendous as the crowd tried their best to make sure that Real never really got into the groove. Credit, though, must be given to Hercules for not trying to sit on their lead and for making it a compelling contest. I felt that Real were losing the ball quite easily unlike the previous games. Hercules though didn’t capitalize on it and continued to give the ball back. Real slowly started looking like the side that beat Santander 6-1 and started making use of the superior possession as the game progressed. Hercules were happy to have little possession of the ball and it looked as though their plan was to counter attack Real on the break. But the tiring legs of Trezeguet and the Valdez’s agility was well matched by the Portuguese central defenders.
With a little over twenty minutes gone Real had their first real chance on goal. Cristiano’s shot from distance was parried by Calatayud and his save fell right into the feet of Higuain whose low curling shot went straight to the keeper. And almost instantly Hercules almost had their second goal. Cortes released Tiago Gomes on the right hand side of midfield and Gomes’ searching cross fell to Thomert on the other side of the box. Thomert somehow managed to cross the ball over to Trezeguet to the center of the six yard box and thankfully his header was directed straight at Saint Iker. Close call and yet again Trezeguet was left unmarked. JM clearly was upset.
Trezeguet seemed to provide Hercules with what Real currently lack. Aerial Prowess. Throughout the game one can see several crosses from the likes of Di Maria, Alonso and Marcelo fall into no man’s land as only Ronaldo has the ability in our front four to meet such crosses. Higuain as we all know cannot head to save his life. Either Real should stop wasting possession by crossing or go out there and get a real #9.
Half an hour had gone by and some good passing by Real led to Higuain crossing for Ronaldo to shoot into an open goal only to be blocked Cortes in a last ditch effort. It wasn’t the best of chances but that was all that we had. Hercules’ wide players and especially Thomert was posing a serious threat to the Real defense. Sergio Ramos unlike Arbeloa was concentrating more on attacking duty that defensive ones. Real on the other hand had failed to make any use of the possession that they had and the game was nearing the halfway mark. It looked as though Hercules were playing to Esteban Vigo’s script. A minute was added on to the first half and Real’s last attack would be Marcelo’s low shot which went wide. It was half time and the Alicante crowd went frantic.
The second half started with no changes made by either side but that wouldn’t last long as Olivier Thomert was stretchered off after the Frenchman had pulled a muscle or so it seemed. Sendoa replaced him and in the meantime Di Maria had tested Calatayud twice within a span of 60 seconds. A minute later the Argentine got the better of the custodian as Cristiano’s shot from range was too hot for the keeper to hold. But the spill would be costlier. Di Maria tucked in the rebound and Real were level with a little more than 40 minutes to play. Real should have rightfully gone ahead when Xabi Alonso’s beautiful long ball left Ronaldo one on one with the keeper but the number 7 was adjudged to be offside when in fact he wasn’t.
The match was sixty five minutes old when Xabi Alonso was booked for stretchering off Abel Aguilar. The player was hurt but was fit enough to continue and Vigo then decided to make his second change of the game. One veteran for another and Francisco Rufete, the former Valencia and Espanyol winger was brought in for the goal scorer Trezeguet. Real continued to dominate possession and had several half chances but it looked like one of those days when you dominate a game but still end up with nothing. A few minutes later an Ozil corner was headed straight at Calatayud (I just love typing that name) by Sergio Ramos and that was as close as we could get. Hercules then brought on former Madridista Javier Portillo on for Nelson Valdez who was injured by the ball and had to be stretchered off.
A change was on the cards as Karim Benzema suited up on the sidelines. He was brought in for Pepe (when everybody thought it would be Higuain who would be taken off) showing how intent Real were on bagging three points. But why Benzema I am sure many Madridistas wondered. The French striker was coming under immense criticism for underperforming and was coming out of a poor show against Murcia in the King’s Cup game. And just then the number 9 played a quick exchange with little Marcel inside the Hercules box and took a shot which Calatayud spilled straight to the waiting Cristiano Ronaldo who was happy to slot home his 11th goal in 8 games this month alone. Benzema had made an immediate impact against a team at a ground in which he scored a brace only a couple of months back and his team mates clearly showed how happy they really were with him.
JM immediately brought in Arbeloa and Albiol for Ozil and Higuain with Marcelo moving to midfield and Sergio Ramos was playing right back again. The clock struck eighty five minutes and a Sergio Ramos stole the ball from Hercules and released Di Maria who set Benzema free into their box. Ronaldo was waiting inside the box and Benzema made the right pass for the Portuguese to score his 12th goal of the season making October 2010 the best ever month in his illustrious career. Benzema’s second assist in ten minutes of coming on. Game, set and match Real Madrid. Ronaldo should have and could have scored his third of the night when a combined effort from Di Maria and Benzema put Ronaldo through on goal with only the goalkeeper to beat which he did but shot high over the bar. It wouldn’t matter as Real completed a well fought victory over a very good side which fought right till the end.
Mourinho had this to say about the match:
The first half was very complicated because our opponent was aggressive. I didn’t like Hercules’ goal because I talked to my players about efforts such as the one it came from. We were practically alone playing football during the second half. We increased our defensive efforts. The most important thing is we took three points that keep us at the top of the table for another week.
Hercules are having a good run in the championship and they have players who are very good at playing this sort of game. Their fans were very supportive of them, adding intensity to their game, which relied on fast ventures in attack. We took risks and everything tastes better when you risk and also win. We had to win this game.
He was quick to appreciate Benzema’s performance and also commented on the fact that Mano Menenzes did not call up Marcelo for Brazil’s upcoming friendly against Argentina in Doha.
Benzema didn’t score, but he created three goals: the first, the third and a possible fourth Cristiano could have netted. He was an extra help in attack and became a new problem for Hercules to solve. He completely changed the game’s dynamics. He may not have scored, but his influence on our game was enormous. This performance will be good for his morale. I am very happy for him.
Marcelo has been playing fantastically well since the start of the season. He has more time to recover because he hasn’t been called-up by Brazil. This is better for us but worse for Brazil, who miss out on having a full back of his quality. This may help him play the whole season at this level.
Director General Jorge Valdano shared his satisfaction with the victory.
We played a tough match tonight. Hercules defended well and had strong counter-attacks during the first half. We controlled the game better in the second part and won thanks to our insistence. This is the first time we’ve had to turn the score around this season and it will be useful to boost our confidence and to carry on working the way we do.
Hercules scored early in the game and we grew anxious. We controlled the game better after we scored our first strike. We pulled through thanks to our insistent attitude.
The players then commented on their performance with Ronaldo heaping praise on Benzema as well as talking about his current rich vein of form. He revealed that it was Mourinho’s half time talk that changed things around. Di Maria too was delighted with the win and said that the team will shift its focus to Milan.
Cristiano Ronaldo:
I’m in great form and having a phenomenal run. I scored goals and I’m happy because we are still leaders. The team played well after half-time, doing the never-easy task of scoring three goals. I am also very happy for Benzema. He played a decisive role and assisted me in our third goal.
Mourinho gave perfect and correct orders during half-time that changed the team. Everything has to work on the pitch, it isn’t enough to attack well. Everything we did in the second half was perfect and that’s why we won.
Di Maria:
I am very happy. Winning was what really mattered. We deserved it because we changed in the second half and did our best to win. These are the games that help you win titles. We had to win whatever the cost. I’m happy because the fans support me. I always try to do my best. I play to help the team do well. I’m happy for the victory and we will start to think about Milan tomorrow.
Along with Xabi and Iker, Benzema too spoke to the media post-game. While the captain was appreciative about the roles of Mourinho and Benzema, Xabi insisted that the team should now try and seal their passage to the next round of the Champions League with a win over Milan midweek.
Benzema:
Whenever we speak, Mourinho always tells me I can do much for the team on the pitch. People will realise I am a good player, I just need to play. Before the game, I told the coach I was going to work to play more.
Casillas:
The important thing is we continue to win and to be at the top. Real Madrid were different in the second half from the team they were in the first. Our mentality changed. Our reaction to losing against a difficult opponent was also important. We played at a small and complicated venue.
We are all very happy for Benzema. He deserved to play this well after having to listen to endless comments about him during the past week.
Mourinho is a phenomenon because he controls each half very well and always knows how to say the right thing at the right time. Our reaction in the second half was due in part to what he said in the dressing room and to the successful substitutions he made.
Alonso:
We know every point dropped could eventually be decisive. That’s why these three are so important. We will also try to seal our pass to the next round in the Champions League in Milan this week.
In all it was a good win. A new kind of victory somewhat so to speak as this was our first comeback win of the season. The rarer the better I’d say. I am very happy with Benzema’s performance in particular. He came on and worked hard for the ball and almost whatever he did was productive. I hope he continues to work the same way and give Pipita a good run for his money. Its time to focus on Milan now as Real heads to the San Siro on Tuesday. A win there would take us through. A draw should also do. But I am looking at revenge and hence I would love for Real to get all three points when they get back home.
Match Stats:
Hércules: Calatayud, Cortés, Pamarot, Rodríguez, Peña, Abel Aguilar, Fritzler, Tiago Gomes, Valdez (Portillo 82′), Thomert (Sendoa 51′), Trezeguet (Rufete 70′);
Real Madrid: Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Carvalho, Pepe (Benzema 77′), Marcelo, Alonso, Khedira, Ronaldo, Ozil (Arbeloa 85′), Di Maria, Higuain (Albiol 85′);
Goals:
1-0, 3′: Trezeguet
1-1, 53′: Di Maria;
1-2, 82′: Ronaldo;
1-3, 85′: Ronaldo;
Notes: La Liga, Matchday 9.
Venue: Jose Rico Perez
Referee: Mr. Clos Gomez
Booked: Carvalho, Marcelo, Alonso;
Man of the match: Karim Benzema
Hercules CF vs Real Madrid | Preview
Real will be hoping to have better luck this time around
Real Madrid travel to the Jose Rico Perez to face a Hercules team which has done a fair bit of giant killing already this season. Victories against Barcelona at Camp Nou and Sevilla at home and not to forget the draw they mustered against Villareal have made them a potentially dangerous opponents who can pull a surprise to end our current undefeated streak.
Real are coming out of a 0-0 draw in the Copa Del Rey at Murcia where they were if not outplayed at least brought back to ground after a few high flying wins over the past few weeks. Despite the likes of Cristiano and Benzema starting the game Real failed to gain the much needed away goals that generally kills ties.
This will be the second time this season that we will be playing in Alicante following the friendly that we played there a couple of months back. Back then it was a comfortable 3-1 victory with Di Maria getting his first goal for Real and Benzema bagging a brace. A repeat performance would be much appreciated but this time around it will definitely be tougher as the likes of Nelson Valdez and the legendary French striker David Trezeguet have all but strengthened the newly promoted side.
Real are still without the services of Kaka, Gago, Garay and Lass but the much Sergio Ramos is fit and even completed the full game against Murcia without much of a trouble. Xabi Alonso, Mesut Ozil, Carvalho and Marcelo have all been recalled into the side after being rested midweek. Mourinho has left out Mateos this time around.
REAL MADRID SQUAD LIST:
Goalkeepers: Casillas, Dudek, Adan.
Defenders: Arbeloa, Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Albiol, Marcelo, Carvalho.
Midfielders: Khedira, Alonso, Ozil, Diarra, Canales, Granero, Pedro Leon, Di Maria.
Forwards: Benzema, Higuain, Cristiano Ronaldo.
Mourinho, during yesterday’s post-match press conference said that the starting lineup will change from the one in Murcia and I guess we can expect pretty much the same side that started against Racing last weekday with Sergio Ramos probably coming in for Alvaro Arbeloa.
Sami Khedira, who has become one of the mainstays of the current crop of players at Real analysed the match for Bwin revealing that team-work will be the key to our success at Alicante. He also spoke about his wretched luck with scoring as he has hit the woodwork as man times as anyone else in the side saying:
I’m sure I will score soon. I’ve had chances to but was unlucky. I come closer to netting a strike each day. I’ve analysed my team-mates on the pitch, which will help me score.
He summed up the game as follows:
We know our match against Hercules will be difficult. We faced them in the preseason. They are dangerous and strong in attack. They have Valdez, whom I knew in the Bundesliga, and Trezeguet, who always finds room in which to score.
Talking about Trezeguet, the French World Cup winner, when asked about the game said:
We are prepared mentally and emotionally to face the current best team in Spain. They are in great form. It will be a game to learn from, to see what situation we are in. In the matches agains the great teams we’ve had great games. However, it’s been different against the smaller teams. We are going to try and have a good game at the Rico Perez and obtain a positive result for the team.
It looks as though Vigo’s men will have to do without Royston Drenthe, who is on-loan from Madrid this season and has a clause in the deal which means Hercules will have to stump up a significant fee if they want to play the Dutchman though I am sure about the effect Roy will have on their side even if he plays.
Real Madrid have never lost at Hercules and average atleast two goals everytime they’ve played there. I am confident that the game tonight will be no different.
Para Siempre Blanco!
Hala Madrid!!
Real Madrid vs CA Osasuna | Preview
He's back!
After yet another irritating international break La Liga action returns and Real Madrid will play their first home league game against Jose Antonio Camacho’s Osasuna side. The match will witness the comeback of Pepe back to competitive First Team action since December last year. The other big news would obviously be the announcement made by Mourinho last evening that Cristiano Ronaldo will start tonight despite being ruled out of this and the next fixture against Ajax two weeks back. Jose Mourinho’s eight-year-undefeated-at-home streak will also be at stake.
After an uninspiring 0-0 draw against Mallorca on Matchday One, the fans are hoping for a much improved performance from the players as Barcelona have already taken an early lead over us. As we witnessed last season, it is games like these that decide the title race and winning thus becomes mandatory. The Cules play newly promoted Hercules to whom they lost both home and away during the Alicante based club’s previous stint in La Liga.
Mourinho has all his players fit except for Kaka, Garay, Gago and Albiol. Diarra though has been left out of the squad for tomorrow. The Special One, in his pre-match press conference, revealed nine out of the eleven players who would start tomorrow. The back four would have Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Carvalho and Marcelo. Joining them in the team would Khedira and Alonso as central midfielders. Ronaldo will start despite just recovering from an ankle injury. Higuain will play up front ahead of Benzema. The other two slots remain a mystery with Di Maria and Ozil most likely to fill it up.
Another good news would be the fact that Lass also has been called up having made a full recovery from the injury he sustained against Mallroca.
Osasuna, on the other hand, are without their two center-backs, Sergio and Josetxo, and goalkeeper Riesgo, all of whom will stay in Pamplona.
SQUAD LIST
Goalkeepers: Casillas, Dudek, Adan
Defenders: Carvalho, Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Marcelo, Arbeloa, Mateos
Midfielders: Khedira, Lass, Granero, Xabi Alonso, Canales, Pedro Leon, Di Maria, Ozil
Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo, Benzema, Higuain
On the agenda are three points and a much better performance from the team overall. Let’s hope we achieve it.
Para Siempre Blanco!
Hala Madrid!!
RCD Mallorca vs Real Madrid | Preview
Mesut Ozil, one of the six, who could make their debut tonight
Finally it is here. The 2010-11 season of the Spanish Primera División has kicked off and Real Madrid start their campaign later tonight at the ONO Estadi against Real Club Deportivo Mallorca in what would be the first official match of Real Madrid under the reign of manager Jose Mourinho.
Real start their journey towards their 33rd League title with six new additions to the squad and under a new manager. Angel Di Maria, Pedro Leon, Sami Khedira, Ricardo Carvalho and Mesut Ozil have all been drafted in during the transfer window with the legendary Raul and Guti exiting the club they had played all their life for new challenges away from Spain. Manuel Pellegrini who took us to our best finish ever in the league last season failed to win a single trophy and was sacked as the treble winning Jose Mourinho was signed as Real’s new manager from FC Internazionale Milano.
Mourinho’s Real have had a pretty solid preseason which saw them lift three trophies in Munich, Hercules and at home in the 32nd edition of the Santiago Bernabeu Trophy against Penarol. The tour of United States of America too was successful as Real won both their games there against Club America and Los Angeles Galaxy respectively. Their only draw came against Standard Liege at Liege where they drew 1-1.
The club has pinned a lot of hopes on Jose Mourinho, known worldwide as ‘The Special One’ to bring to the Santiago Bernabeu the major trophies, something which we haven’t won in two years. Like the manager himself admitted earlier in the week in a press conference, the club has indeed spent a lot bringing in a lot of youngsters to replace the old ones a few who were even deemed irreplaceable. We fans likewise too have a lot of hope and I personally am seeing Mourinho as the only one who can bring back to Real the glory days that we are all used to and end the barren spell of not winning Europe’s finest competition, something which we have won more than any other club in the world.
With such high hopes on his shoulders, Jose seems to be as calm as he always is and seems to be doing a good job till now. But all that wouldn’t matter when we face up against Michael Laudrup’s Mallorca.
Mallorca are about to start their 14th consecutive season in the First Division. Having been dumped by UEFA from participating in this season’s Europa League, despite finishing fifth in La Liga, Mallorca begin their campaign with the sole goal being to avoid relegation. Mallorca too like Real have made several changes to their squad. Key players like Aritz Aduriz, Borja Valero, Mario Suarez, Julio Alvarez and Mattioni have been replaced by Jonathan de Guzman, Cendros, Brazilians Joao Victor and Edson Ramos, and Fernando Cavenaghi. Emilio Nsue too has returned to the team this summer following his loan spell at Real Sociedad last year.
More than the trouble posed by Mallorca themselves, Real have other worries. As many as seven first team players are out injured including a few who are facing a long spell out. Pepe, Kaka, Garay, Albiol, Gago, Diarra (who would probably be leaving us soon) are all unavailable due to injury. Kaka, Garay and Gago are ones out with long term injuries. Drenthe has been excluded from the squad list whereas Castilla’s Mateos has been included.
SQUAD LIST :
Goalkeepers: Casillas, Dudek, Adan
Defenders: Carvalho, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, Arbeloa, Mateos
Midfielders: Khedira, Lass, Granero, Xabi Alonso, Canales, Pedro Leon, Di Maria, Van der Vaart, Ozil
Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo, Benzema, Higuain
Mallorca have only one injury woe as center-back Ivan Ramis will miss the match against due to an injury and it is still uncertain if Fernando Cavenaghi will make his debut against the Whites.
The last time both sides clashed in Mallorca was on 5 May 2010, resulting in a 4-1 victory for the Madridistas with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring his only hat-trick till date and a solitary goal from Gonzalo Higuain. Pipita, speaking about the match ahead of the game to bwin.com, stressed on how important it is to win the first game, saying:
It is going to be a very important and exciting game. It is vital to start the season with a victory. We will have to fight their tactics with our own style. What we want is to win at Son Moix. We have a team capable earning the three points.
His partner up front, Karim Benzema, too spoke to AS about his hopes and aspirations for the season in an interview with AS.
Real would be hoping the two strikers really get going this season as they need it if they have any hopes of winning titles. The other attacking prospects too would be keenly observed as Mourinho begins a new era at Real. We might not play as beautifully as Barcelona does but we surely would get to know how we win games. That said, now I feel we do have all the qualities that a team needs to play good attractive football as well as the match winners that every team needs to win those games which decide the fate of the title.
I am not hoping for the treble nor am I expecting Real to play attractive football. All that I am expecting from this season is for us to show some sign of improvement and stability and justify the changes made during the season break.
Prediction: RCD Mallorca 0-2 Real Madrid
Para Siempre Blanco!
Hala Madrid!!
La Liga fixtures out; Real to play at Mallorca on Matchday 1
Fixtures for the 2010/11 season of La Liga are now official. Real Madrid will play their league opener against Mallorca at Ono Estadi on the weekend of 28/29 August. There will be three rounds of midweek matches played on 22 September, 2 March and 11 May. The first half of the season will conclude on 16 January, while the full season comes to an end on 22 May.
Para Siempre Blanco!
Hala Madrid!!
Post-match comments
Director General Jorge Valdano shared his thoughts on tonight’s draw and the overall season. Manuel Pellegrini analysed the team’s season following the 1-1 draw in Malaga. The squad was sad for not winning the title, but all the players are aware of the great season they’ve had.
"This was an extraordinary La Liga run"
Valdano:
We are Real Madrid. History has shown we always know how to win or lose. Two teams had a great run this season, breaking several records along the way.
As Barcelona scored their goals the tension of our match decreased, but not for Malaga. Their life was at stake. You could tell by their players and the crowd.
Barcelona had the advantage and made good use of it. We should congratulate them for being worthy champions.
We are as excited as we were at the start of the year because this is a long-term project. We knew how great the challenge was. We stood firm in the race for the title.
We have a lot of time ahead of us to decide which way we should go for next year. There won’t be as many changes as there were last year, but we will have to make some adjustments to reach the highest quality and get over this season.
Pellegrini:
We knew it was going to be difficult for Barcelona to lose the title, but our intention here was to win and hope they earned a complicated result.
We had an extraordinary run in La Liga and the numbers we earned prove this. It’s never a good year when you don’t win a title, but the team’s work in the league may be positively valued later on.
It’s logical for there to be great assessments after a season at a great club like Real Madrid, but it is not my place to publically defend my job.
We have to work much more to correct certain aspects of our game and to surpass a team that plays excellent football and has been doing so for a long time. People may realise in the future just how difficult it is to take so many points and to earn the numbers we have.
We knew Malaga were tough as locals and they were fighting to avoid relegation. We could have won the match in the second half, but our morale was influenced by what Barcelona were doing. I am glad Malaga remain in the First Division.
I wish to thank my men for the season they had. They are hard workers and they set a great example both on and off the pitch. They had a brilliant run in la Liga, but their work hasn’t been properly valued because we didn’t win the title and we fought against a great Barcelona. I am very grateful to them. We can’t conform ourselves with being runners-up in the future. We have to continue cutting distances shorter with Barcelona.
Malaga 1-1 Real Madrid
Real Madrid sealed the league with a draw against Malaga at La Rosaleda. The Whites never gave up against the locals, who manage to remain in the First Division thanks to the score. Goalkeeper Munua was a local hero. Duda and Van der Vaart were the goal-scorers.
- Season ends with draw at La Rosaleda
Real Madrid were focused on winning and had their first chance on goal within the first minute when Ronaldo sent the ball over the crossbar following a killer pass on the goal-line by Marcelo. Malaga responded through Duda, but Casillas saved the striker’s shot. The locals played a rather tough game, especially on Cristiano Ronaldo, who stoically withstood all the kicks and tackles he received. Then, Duda pulled rank and scored the opener following a good collective effort on the 7-minute mark.
Pellegrini’s men were hit hard by this and the match grew a bit messy, but they soon started to get their chances on goal again. Higuain missed the target with a shot from outside the box (16′), Ronaldo forced a save with a header on the 24-minute mark, and Van der Vaart nearly scored from a spectacular bicycle-kick five minutes later. Malaga worked very hard and well to keep the Madridistas in check before half-time. Real Madrid never ceased to look for a goal, but either bad aim or Munua’s skills kept them from scoring.
After half-time, the goalkeeper saved the day yet again when Marcelo came close to netting an equaliser. Three minutes later, Van der Vaart turned 180º and defeated him with a spectacular shot that grazed the inside of the right post (48′).
Real Madrid didn’t relax and kept looking for a winner. Pellegrini replaced Gago with Guti to make the game flow better. The midfielder helped the team get more chances, but Munua stood his ground firmly. The coach then made Benzema come on for Granero, but with 20 minutes left in the game victory still eluded the Whites. The French striker came close to netting winners twice, but his shots were saved by the goalie. The draw served Malaga to avoid relegation and they simply focused on defending. Duda was sent off in injury time right before the game came to an end.
Lineups:
Málaga: Munúa, J. Gámez, Iván González, Hélder Rosario, Mtiliga, Apoño, Benachour (Albert Luque 84′), Duda, Fernando, Javi López (Juanito 80′), Caicedo (Obinna 61′);
Real Madrid: Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Albiol, Garay, Marcelo, Xabi Alonso, Gago (Guti H. 61′), Granero (Benzema 73′), Van der Vaart (Drenthe 82′), Higuaín, Cristiano Ronaldo;
Goals:
Referee: Mr. Undiano Mallenco
Booked: J. Gámez, Hélder Rosario, Albert Luque, Obinna, Guti, Van der Vaart, Higuain, Ronaldo;
Sent off: Duda
Notes: La Liga, Matchday 38.
Venue: La Rosaleda.
Malaga vs Real Madrid | Spanish Primera Division | Round 38 | Preview
Real Madrid’s last match of the season takes place this evening at 19:00 in Malaga. The Whites’ main goal is to end the campaign with 98 points to keep their options of winning the title alive in case Barcelona drop points at Camp Nou against Valladolid.
Manuel Pellegrini has called-up his entire squad for the match and will have to cut the 23-man list to 18 by the time the match starts. The clash is sure to be tense and exciting given the Whites need a victory in order to have chances to win the title.
Once again, the Ronaldo-Higuain partnership in attack will have to play a crucial role. Together they’ve both scored 53 of the 101 goals netted by Real Madrid this season.
Malaga risk being relegated to the Second Division. They only have 36 points and need a victory tonight to be safe. They’ve won none of their previous eight games, making tonight’s even more vital. Key players such as Fernando and Helder Rosario are niggled and may miss the fixture, but midfielder Duda and strikers Caicedo and Baha will surely make the starting lineup.
MALAGA SQUAD LIST
Goalkeepers: Arnau, Munua
Defenders: Jesus Gamez, Manu Torres, Ivan Gonzalez, Helder Rosario, Mtiliga
Midfielders: Xavi Torres, Fernando, Apoño, Valdo, Benachour, Duda, Juanito, Portillo, Javi Lopez
Forwards: Luque, Baha, Obinna, Caicedo
Referee: Mr. Undiano Mallenco
Post-match comments
Jorge Valdano transmitted a message of hope following Real Madrid’s 5-1 victory against Athletic Bilbao. Manuel Pellegrini was very pleased with his team’s victory on Saturday, but he didn’t shy away from commenting on his displeasure with the score in Seville. The message is loud and clear. Members of Real Madrid’s first team still believe they have a shot at the league title and 98 points after beating Athletic Bilbao 5-1 on Saturday.
"We will fight until the end."
Valdano:
We are still hopeful. We have fewer chances percentage-wise, but we will fight until the very end. A lot can happen in this sport including things that seem impossible.
We took care of business in the second half after suffering from a lot of anxiety in the first. The best news was the five goals we scored for our fans. Their support was a deciding factor.
We are setting records for wins and are close to the all-time scoring recod, which proves that this is a great team that has only improved over the course of the season. We will not be discouraged. We will defend Real Madrid’s pride in Malaga and will fight until the very end.
Ronaldo and Higuain have a great partnership, but we also have other talented players like Benzema and Kaka. Ramos’ goal was evidence of his grit and pride. He has had an exceptional season and will one day go down in the history of Real Madrid.
Pellegrini:
The team felt anxious and discouraged for a while. We have one more match and although we had a lot of hope riding on the game in Seville, Valladolid have a lot at stake when they visit Barcelona next week. We will maintain our pressure until the end.
We knew that Barcelona’s match against Sevilla would be more complicated than next week’s against Valladolid, but you never know what may happen. We need to maintain this spirit and fight until the very end. Hope is the last thing we can lose.
We closed out a great season at the Bernabeu. We won 18 of 19 matches and scored 60 goals here, which is more than three per match. We have now scored more than 100 goals. The numbers are there. We are the top scoring team.
Real Madrid 5-1 Athletic Bilbao
Real Madrid notched their 31st victory on Saturday by drubbing Athletic Bilbao in what was the Whites’ final home match of the season. With one game left to play, Higuain and Cristiano have combined for 53 of the team’s 101 goals this year.
One victory shy of 98 points
Winning was all that counted for Real Madrid if they were to keep their title hopes alive and make it to the final week of action with a chance to notch 98 points on the year. Only four minutes had ticked off the clock when Cristiano Ronaldo put Iraizoz to the test. Five minutes later the Madridsta sent another shot just wide of the post. Caparros surprisingly left Fernando Llorente on the bench, but it didn’t prevent Athletic from putting on their own pressure.
Amorebieta was sent off on 21′ and Cristiano fired home the ensuing penalty kick to put Real up 1-0. The Whites took complete control of the match with a one-man advantage and Athletic retreated in search of a deadly counterattack. Despite their numerical superiority, Real Madrid slowed their pace and Yeste managed to capitalize by beating Casillas. The teams headed into the dressing room level and one goal apiece.
Kaka stepped in for Gago at the restart, but Athletic remained well-positioned and Real couldn’t successfully complete the final pass. Granero looked in dismay as his shot from distance struck off the corner of the crossbar. Athletic grew confident and Yeste nearly gave his side the advantage, but Casillas made the frantic save.
Pellegrini replaced Granero with Benzema in search of more fire power with only 23 minutes left to play. Higuain was lucky on his third attempt and put a header by Iraizoz following a corner kick. Pipita’s 27th goal in league action was all the Whites needed to keep their title hopes alive, but they weren’t done yet.
With nine minutes left in regulation Sergio Ramos dribbled through defenders to put the third on the board and one minute later Benzema hammered home the fourth. Athletic Bilbao had been done in, but Marcelo got his name of the score sheet on 90′ after a mistake committed by the defense. The 98-point objective is now only one win away.
Lineups:
Real Madrid: Casillas, Arbeloa, Albiol, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, Xabi Alonso, Guti H., Gago (Kaká 47′), Granero (Benzema 67′), Cristiano Ronaldo, Higuaín (Diarra 83′);
Athletic Club: Iraizoz, Iraola, San José, Koikili, Amorebieta, Gurpegi, Iturraspe, Javi Martínez, Yeste (Gabilondo 66′), De Marcos (Susaeta 54′), Toquero (Llorente 75′);
Goals:
Referee: Mr. Muñiz Fernandez
Booked: Guti, Gago, Arbeloa, Iraizoz, Iraola
Sent off: Amorebieta
Notes: Week 37 of La Liga played at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Real Madrid vs Athletic Bilbao | Spanish Primera Division | Round 37 | Preview
Real Madrid welcome Athletic Bilbao to the Santiago Bernabeu in what will be their final home match of the season. The Whites are sitting on 92 points and only two wins away from reaching their goal of 98.
The Whites are six points shy of 98 as they play their last home match of the season
Manuel Pellegrini and company are well aware of the fact that a victory against Athletic followed by another in La Rosaleda against Malaga will put them in a good position to win the league title. They also know that they need some help from Barcelona, who must not win their two remaining matches.
Athletic Bilbao will by no means be a pushover. Real Madrid have had to mount comebacks in their last two matches against Osasuna and Mallorca; a situation they hope to avoid against Caparros’ men. Manuel Pellegrini has called up 19 men for the second-to-last final of the year. Raul, Van der Vaart and Pepe were not included as all continue recovering from injury.
REAL MADRID SQUAD LIST
Goalkeepers: Casillas, Dudek
Defenders: Arbeloa, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, Albiol, Garay, Metzelder
Midfielder: Gago, Diarra, Kaka, Lass, Guti, Drenthe, Xabi Alonso, Granero
Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo, Benzema, Higuain
Los Leones are one point off qualifying for a berth in next season’s Europa League having drawn their last two matches. Real Madrid need to keep an eye on Fernando Llorente, who has had an exceptional season and is a candidate to represent Spain in this summer’s World Cup.
The Santiago Bernabeu will be packed to the brim to bid farewell to a team that has won 17 of the 18 matches already played there this year.
ATHLETIC BILBAO SQUAD LIST:
Goalkeepers: Iraizoz, Armando
Defenders: Koikili, Ustaritz, Amorebieta, San Jose, Iraola, Iturraspe
Midfielders: Yeste, Gabilondo, Susaeta, Gurpegi, Javi Martínez
Forwards: Toquero, Llorente, Muniain, De Marcos, Etxeberria
Referee: Mr. Muñiz Fernandez
Post-match comments
Director General Jorge Valdano praised his team for earning a crucial victory in Mallorca tonight. Manuel Pellegrini was very satisfied with his team’s victory. The coach pointed out his men performed better in the second half. Mallorca coach Gregorio Manzano declared that the difference between Real Madrid, Barcelona and the rest of the Primera Liga is “astronomical.” Afterwards, Manzano acknowledged the superiority of Los Merengues and in particular Cristiano Ronaldo. Delighted with the victory and his hat-trick, Ronaldo shared his thoughts on the match with the media. The Real Madrid squad was delighted with the victory.
"We improved considerably in the second half and won a difficult game"
Valdano:
We were somewhat uneven in the first half, but we showcased our dominating skills in the last 45 minutes. We concentrate on the job at hand and we always show our professional character and excitement to win this title.
Cristiano Ronaldo showcases the Club’s trademark winning spirit. He is an extraordinary player, but I don’t think it’s fair to say the team depends on him.
We will have to win our match this weekend regardless of what happens between Barcelona and Sevilla. We must play a serious game, like we did during tonight’s second half, and wait for our chance.
Pellegrini:
I think there was a considerable difference between our performances in the first and second halves. We suffered a lot in the first against Mallorca’s counterattacks. We were better organised in the second part and managed to tip the scales towards us.
We knew we were going to have a rough time. We all know what Mallorca are capable of, especially as locals. We luckily managed to win the match and to do so decisively.
We all know Cristiano is an extremely important player. This team plays in regard to the quality of its men and Cristiano is one of them. He plays a crucial role. Nevertheless, the team responded well when he missed two months because of an injury.
We need to defeat Athletic Bilbao and Malaga to reach the 98-point mark. There’s much at stake for both sides. We feel strong and confident both on and off the pitch, but we still don’t depend on ourselves, so we have to avoid mistakes and wait for Barcelona to make some.
Manzano:
For 60 minutes we played a very good game. We kept the order, nullified Madrid and we created chances but the second goal affected us in terms of mindset. Then, we opened up looking for an equalizer and Cristiano Ronaldo has scored in individual actions. He is very dangerous with the ball at his feet.
It is very difficult to take the ball off Madrid, despite the enormous physical effort we made. The difference between Madrid and Barcelona with the rest of the teams is astronomical.
Mallorca 1-4 Real Madrid
Real Madrid earned their 30th league victory tonight, reaching the 92-point mark. Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick against Mallorca, who had previously only conceded 11 strikes at their stadium. The Madridistas continue to head towards the 98-point mark.
- Cristiano Ronaldo showers Mallorca with goals
Mallorca had a strong start and scored the opener 15 minutes into the game through Aduriz, forcing Real Madrid to make another comeback.
Ten minutes later, Cristiano Ronaldo magically controlled the ball, sprinted towards the goal, leaving his marker behind and defeating the goalie with a lobbed shot (25′).
The striker gave Real Madrid confidence and they began to dominate the encounter despite occasional dangerous counterattacks from Mallorca that put Casillas’ reflexes to the test. Gago responded to this with a long pass that Higuain tried to head in to no avail.
The Whites pressurised more in attack after half-time. Within five minutes, Ronaldo assisted Higuain, but the Argentine missed the target. Both men pulled off a similar effort two minutes later, but this time the keeper intercepted Cristiano’s pass. Several minutes later, Sergio Ramos served a great ball for Ronaldo, who controlled it with his chest in the box and defeated the keeper again with a subtle and elegant shot (56′).
Pellegrini wanted his team to dominate more in midfield and decided to bring on Guti and Kaka. It worked and Mallorca, who still hadn’t recovered from the blow of conceding a second strike, deflated.
Ronaldo was clearly still hungry and soon scored his third goal after controlling a divided ball and defeating Aouate in a one-on-one. This was his 25th strike in La Liga this season.
Gonzalo Higuain clearly wanted his share in the glory and netted an amazing goal on the 81-minute mark, sealing the victory and also tallying his 25th league strike in the campaign.
Lineups:
Mallorca: Aouate, Josemi, Nunes, Rubén, Ayoze, Julio Álvarez, Borja Valero, Martí (M. Suárez 61′), Castro, Aduriz (Webó 79′), Víctor (A. Keita 61′);
Real Madrid: Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Albiol, Garay, Arbeloa, Gago, Xabi Alonso, Granero (Diarra 76′), Kaká (Guti H. 60′), Higuaín, Cristiano Ronaldo (Benzema 84′);
Goals:
Referee: Mr. Clos Gomez
Booked: Josemi, Nunes, Valero, Aduriz, Arbeloa, Granero
Notes: Matchday 35 of La Liga
Venue: ONO Estadi
Mallorca vs Real Madrid | Spanish Primera Division | Round 36 | Preview
Real Madrid visit Ono Estadi on Wednesday with the 98-point mark in their sights, while Mallorca have gone from the Cinderella of the season to a solid candidate for a berth in next season’s Champions League.
The Whites can break records for the most wins on the road in a season and the most consecutive victories as visitors.
The light can be seen at the end of the tunnel. Only three wins and nine points separate Real Madrid from the historic 98-point mark. A milestone that the team is committed to reaching according to Sergio Ramos:
Our goal is the 98 points, so it will have been well worth it if we reach that mark and finish as champions.
The primary change to the Madridista squad list was the inclusion of Drenthe, who has fully recovered from a sprained/torn left thigh muscle. Meanwhile, Marcelo must serve a one-match suspension and did not make the trip. Raul, Van der Vaart, Lass and Pepe also stayed in the Spanish capital due to injury. After making his first team debut with Real Madrid last weekened, Castilla’s Juanfran found his way onto the roster.
Real Madrid don’t have an easy task at hand. Mallorca have only lost two matches at home this season –Sevilla (1-3) & Barcelona (0-1)-. According to former Madridista youth teamer and current Bermellon midfielder Borja Valero:
We’re going to fight to the death and play with an intensity. If we come out strong in the first 20 minutes I am sure they will begin to panic.
Not only will a Madridista victory be another step towards the 98-point mark. It will also set two new records for the most wins on the road in one season (31) and the most consecutive wins as visitors (9). The Ono Estadi hosts the first of three remaining finals… The next step towards 98 points.
Referee: Mr. Clos Gomez
Post-match comments
Director General Jorge Valdano was very happy with the team’s victory over Osasuna, admitting the game had been “strange” because the team gave an “uneven” performance at times. Manuel Pellegrini admitted the team “suffered to win,” but was overall happy with the victory. Osasuna coach Jose Antonio Camacho was pleased with the effort of his players despite going down. Cristiano Ronaldo (2) and Marcelo scored for the Whites this evening. The squad expressed its satisfaction with the victory over Osasuna.
"That mental strength, combined with the crowd's support, is vital in the final stage of the competition"
Valdano:
My heart is pounding. It was a strange game because we were uneven, managing to sentence the match only at the end. Real Madrid never give up the fight and the crowd has been there for us. We hope to write a new chapter in this fight, which everyone used to think we had already lost.
The title would have been practically unreachable had we drawn the match, but the team would have kept on fighting to the end. This victory will help us keep Barcelona on edge. It’s never the same to face a game knowing that another team is also putting pressure on you.
Cristiano Ronaldo is very much like Real Madrid and the crowd notices. We have players with great character and Cristiano is one of them. He brings life to the team. It always seems something is about to happen whenever he gets the ball.
Juanfran seemed quite at ease in his debut. He was fast and confident with the ball. He read the game intelligently, knowing when to up the pace of the match and when to slow it down.
Our next three games will be tremendous. Barcelona must be going through the same as us. It will be a clash of titans. We hope to win the title in the end.
Pellegrini:
I think tonight we saw the worst defending we’ve done all year. We were weak at the back.
It is impossible to deny Cristiano Ronaldo makes a difference. We are lucky to have him.
I think the team is very strong, especially on a psychological level. This is vital in the final stage of the season. The crowd’s support is always great. They know as well as us that it is very important to take three points in Mallorca.
We can’t draw early conclusions now. We must stay strong to force Barcelona to take 99 points if they want the title.
Camacho:
We can take something positive from this defeat. The players are hurting but we must continue fighting.
If we play in Wednesday’s game with this level of intensity, then we must get a result.
The goal that Masoud has failed to score, I thought it was so easy that I have looked away and I saw that there hadn’t been a goal. Fate was not with us on this occasion.
Real Madrid 3-2 Osasuna
The 98 point mark becomes more visible with each passing game. Real Madrid defeated Osasuna thanks to their great drive and the skills of Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored two goals.
Ronaldo keeps Whites firm in fight for title
The game had a bad start for the Whites, who conceded a goal by Aranda on the 7-minute mark following a mistake by Albiol. The team had to make a comeback. Cristiano Ronaldo hit a header that grazed one of the posts in the 14th minute. Kaka followed suit with an individual effort that was finished off by Xabi Alonso, but the keeper saved the day (15′). The Brazilian came close to scoring his team’s first goal on the 22-minute mark from a header, but keeper Ricardo made a good save once again. A couple of minutes later, Ronaldo controlled the ball in midfield, reached the front edge of the box and scored a beauty (24′).
Kaka and Cristiano made a great venture in attack ten minutes later finished off by Granero, whose shot missed the target by inches. Nevertheless, the Madridistas’ defence wasn’t as solid as in previous games and the players failed to clear a ball that landed in Casillas’ box. Vadocz controlled it and scored a phenomenal strike (43′).
Real Madrid never give up and, just one minute later, Marcelo reacted and headed in a cross from Xabi Alonso, drawing the match just before half-time.
Thirty seconds into the second half, Osasuna’s defence was forced to clear a shot by Higuain. Real Madrid had three clear chances on goal in the opening five minutes, two by Ronaldo that were barely saved by Ricardo, and another by Granero that was marginally off target. The visitors tried to counterattack through Camuñas and Aranda, putting the Whites’ defenders to the test.
Real Madrid had many more chances, but failed to score. Victory was paramount and Marcelo and Guti came close to scoring with 15 minutes left in the game. Youth teamer Juanfran made his first team debut on the 85-minute mark as a last resort. A few minutes later, Cristiano Ronaldo pullled rank to score the victory goal from a header in the very last minute of the match (his 22nd strike in La Liga).
Lineups:
Real Madrid: Casillas, Arbeloa, Albiol, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, Xabi Alonso, Gago (Juanfran 87′), Granero (Guti H. 60′), Kaká (Benzema 69′), Cristiano Ronaldo, Higuaín;
Osasuna: Ricardo, Azpilicueta, Sergio, Monreal, Roversio (Miguel Flaño 70′), Rúper, Nekounam, Vadócz, Juanfran (Masoud 63′), Camuñas, Aranda (Calleja 77′);
Goals:
The 98 point mark becomes more visible with each`passing game. Real Madrid defeated Osasuna thanks to their great drive and the skills of Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored two goals.
The game had a bad start for the Whites, who conceded a goal by Aranda on the 7-minute mark following a mistake by Albiol. The team had to make a comeback. Cristiano Ronaldo hit a header that grazed one of the posts in the 14th minute. Kaka followed suit with an individual effort that was finished off by Xabi Alonso, but the keeper saved the day (15′). The Brazilian came close to scoring his team’s first goal on the 22-minute mark from a header, but keeper Ricardo made a good save once again. A couple of minutes later, Ronaldo controlled the ball in midfield, reached the front edge of the box and scored a beauty (24′).
Kaka and Cristiano made a great venture in attack ten minutes later finished off by Granero, whose shot missed the target by inches. Nevertheless, the Madridistas’ defence wasn’t as solid as in previous games and the players failed to clear a ball that landed in Casillas’ box. Vadocz controlled it and scored a phenomenal strike (43′).
Real Madrid never give up and, just one minute later, Marcelo reacted and headed in a cross from Xabi Alonso, drawing the match just before half-time.
Thirty seconds into the second half, Osasuna’s defence was forced to clear a shot by Higuain. Real Madrid had three clear chances on goal in the opening five minutes, two by Ronaldo that were barely saved by Ricardo, and another by Granero that was marginally off target. The visitors tried to counterattack through Camuñas and Aranda, putting the Whites’ defenders to the test.
Real Madrid had many more chances, but failed to score. Victory was paramount and Marcelo and Guti came close to scoring with 15 minutes left in the game. Youth teamer Juanfran made his first team debut on the 85-minute mark as a last resort. A few minutes later, Cristiano Ronaldo pullled rank to score the victory goal from a header in the very last minute of the match (his 22nd strike in La Liga).
Real Madrid vs Osasuna | Spanish Primera Division | Round 35 | Preview
Only four games remain in La Liga. Real Madrid will fight hard for a victory against Osasuna that would bring them nearer to the 98 point mark, while the visiting side will look to distance itself from the relegation zone.
First of four finals
Kaka had a brilliant comeback against Zaragoza last week, scoring the victory goal just six minutes after stepping onto the pitch. The Brazilian hopes to give another spectacular performance, this time at the Bernabeu. The match against Osasuna will be Sergio Ramos’ 200th league clash.
Albiol has returned to the squad list after last week’s suspension. Guti and Arbeloa have recovered from their injuries in time for the match. Youth teamer Juanfran has been given the chance to join the first team; the Castilla right winger is in great form, evidenced by the 50-metre goal he scored against Toledo last week. The injured Raul, Van der Vaart, Lass, Pepe and Drenthe will miss the clash.
REAL MADRID SQUAD LIST:
GOALKEEPERS: Casillas, Dudek
DEFENDERS: Arbeloa, Albiol, Ramos, Marcelo, Metzelder, Garay
MIDFIELDERS: Gago, Diarra, Guti, Kaká, Granero, Xabi Alonso, Juanfran
FORWARDS: Cristiano Ronaldo, Higuaín, Benzema
Former Madridistas Juanfran, Aranda and Calleja will play at the Bernabeu with Osasuna. Delporte and Echaide have missed the trip to the Spanish capital due to injuries, while Josetxo, Jokin Esparza, Dady and Pandiani have been left out for coaching decisions.
OSASUNA SQUAD LIST:
GOALKEEPERS: Ricardo, Roberto
DEFENDERS: Azpilicueta, Oier, Roversio, Miguel Flaño, Sergio, Monreal
MIDFIELDERS: Calleja, Juanfran, Camuñas, Masoud, Puñal, Ruper, Vadocz, Nekounam
FORWARDS: Galan, Aranda
Post-match comments
Jorge Valdano sung the team’s praises after their gritty 1-2 win against Zaragoza. Real Madrid head coach Manuel Pellegrini stressed his team’s ability to not let their nerves get the best of them. Raul had missed ten days and Kaka had been sidelined for 45, but the duo came off the bench on Saturday to lead Real Madrid to victory. Sergio Ramos and Fernando Gago offered their opinions on the victory shortly after the match concluded.
"The team showed just how mature it is"
Valdano:
Zaragoza were a solid team tonight who really put us in a bind. We were very determined throughout the entire match. Our lives were at stake and Zaragoza were trying to steer clear of the relegation zone.
The referee is there to calm the game down. Zaragoza played their cards and we were prepared to maintain order and discipline.
Raul is a club icon and very important both on and off the pitch. I congratulate him for his effort. We hope we can enjoy watching him play for a long time.
Kaka worked very hard to recover from injury. He is a noble person and an incredible professional. He will prove just that in the many years he has left on his contract. It’s the team that wins matches and we have managed just fine depsite the absence of such a significant player like the former Ballon d’Or winner.
We need players who are extremely focused if we are to remain in the title hunt. We are obligated to remain astute and to take on each match like we did tonight. You never know what weekend might bring some surprises.
Pellegrini:
We have two or three great chances that we didn’t finish in the first half, but we were prepared to play hard until the final whistle. I don’t think we would have deserved the 1-1 draw.
I am always worried when I see the team play anxiously and nervous, but we managed to calm down and earn the win.
Zaragoza were too aggressive and fouled too much.
Kaka has always been an important player for us and he proved it again tonight.
We don’t control our own destiny. Our goal is to reach the 98-point mark and hope that Barcelona slip up.
Real Zaragoza 1-2 Real Madrid
Zaragoza needed a win to help secure a spot in top flight football next season. Real Madrid had to earn the three points to keep their title hopes alive, and they did just that with goals by Raul –his 228th in league play- and Kaka.
Raul and Kaka steer the Whites to victory
The Whites dictated the pace early with overwhelming possession of the ball, while Zaragoza relied on aggressive tactics to keep the visitors from giving their football any continuity. The match had barely gotten under way when Higuain found Cristiano Ronaldo alone in front of Roberto, who kept the Whites off the scoreboard. Minutes later the keeper had little trouble stopping another powerful right-footer by the Portuguese forward. Injuries took their toll on the quarter hour mark, when Raul stepped in for Van der Vaart and Colungo came off the bench to replace Suazo.
The pace increased but Real Madrid continued dominating possession. Raul had a try on goal but Roberto steered the ball clear of net. It was the first and only warning shot by the captain, who in the second half put the Whites ahead after Cristiano Ronaldo found him alone in front of goal. Raul exited the match on 52’ as Benzema made his way onto the turf.
Zaragoza let their tempers get the best of them and Contini was sent off after elbowing Higuain, but even a man down they managed to pull level. Colunga slipped behind the back line, feinted passed Casillas and netted the equalizer.
Real Madrid continued to pressure on offense. Ramos sent a header off the woodwork and both Guti and Cristiano Ronaldo were stymied by Roberto. But this was an evening for reappearances and Kaka scored the winner in his first match back after being sidelined for 45 days, thus ensuring Real Madrid keep their title chances alive for another week.
Lineups:
Zaragoza: Roberto, Obradovic, Edmilson, Contini, Ponzio, Jarosik, Gabi, Abel Aguilar, Ander (Uche 76′), Eliseu, Suazo (Adrián Colunga 20′ (Jorge López 89′));
Real Madrid: Casillas, Arbeloa, Garay, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, Xabi Alonso, Guti H., Gago (Kaká 76′), Van der Vaart (Raúl 15′ (Benzema 52′)), Cristiano Ronaldo, Higuaín;
Goals:
Referee: Mr. Undiano Mallenco
Booked: Ponzio, Gabi, Eliseu, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, Xabi Alonso, Kaká;
Sent off: Contini
Notes: Week 34 of La Liga. A minute of silence was held prior to pick-off in honor of Juan Antonio Samaranch, who passed away on Wednesday.
Played at: La Romareda.
Just another Madridista
Hala Madrid 
Levante 1-2 Real Madrid: The boy with the golden touch
It was ugly. It was brutal. It was wet. Hell, there was even blood! But yet we came out with three points in the bag in what was Mou’s first ever win at the Estadi Ciutat de Valencia. It was the kind of game that we would have lost if it had come earlier in the season. The conditions were harsh on us, the opponents even more so. Xabi Alonso missed a penalty. Cristiano Ronaldo played only one half of the game and almost all of it seeing through only one eye. Levante could have done us and ceased all our hopes of retaining the title. But then again that did not happen. Thanks to a certain Álvaro Morata and his first touch after coming on as a substitute which ended up in the back of the net.
It was raining cats and.. no.. hippos and mammoths in Valencia. The pitch was water logged thanks to the remarkable drainage system that was not present in the stadium. The referee felt that the game could still go ahead and it did as per schedule. After three weeks of suffering without a recognized left back, Fábio Coentrão returned to the line up with Arbeloa returning to right back. Sergio Ramos and Pepe were paired in the center despite speculations that Varane could be used to give the Spaniard time to recover from an injury that he is carrying. Essien partnered Alonso in midfield like the second half against Dortmund and had yet another excellent game. On a side note, I wonder if its just Mourinho who makes him tick. Callejon too started alongside Özil and Dí Maria just behind Ronaldo.
It took only three minutes for the war to begin with David Navarro elbowing Cristiano on the face while challenging his own team mate for an air ball. Cristiano, bleeding profusely, required five stitches to keep his left eyebrow from coming apart. He remained on the pitch and gave us the lead through a brilliant volley after catching Levante’s defense napping following a Xabi Alonso free kick. It took us around 20 minutes to adjust to the pitch as several times the ball refused to roll irrespective of how insistent players were. Once we went ahead we were happy to play long balls hoping to out run our opponents. We didn’t have that many memorable chances in attack but we did somehow manage to maintain a fairly decent amount of possession given the nature of the game.
Half time arrived and Ronaldo was substituted after temporarily losing vision in both his eyes. Surprisingly, it was Rául Albiol who replaced him and the center back took his place in the middle of the park with the team (or should I say lake) with the team shifting from a 4-2-3-1 to a 4-3-3. Levante made a change around the hour mark and it worked for them immediately. Ángel was brought on in place of El Zhar and the super sub expertly chipped the ball over an on rushing Casillas from a marginally onside position after being sent through by Martins. The goal came just after both our center halves had hit the cross bar from successive corners. Unfortunately, the scores were still level and we were without a striker. Kaká immediately replaced Arbeloa and we shifted to a 4-4-2 with Albiol taking his compatriot’s position.
The conditions being as abysmal as they were played 12th man for an aging team that would have struggled otherwise against the speed of our players. We couldn’t afford to make quick passes nor were we able to dribble. We therefore continued to resort to old fashioned long balls that made the game look more like water polo than football. That said, the team responded well to the challenge as Mourinho concurred in the post-match presser:
Luck favors the brave they say and it actually seemed true. In the 73rd minute, we were awarded a penalty after Callejon was fouled on the edge of the box by Juanfran. Xabi stepped up to take it and went for the bottom corner only to meet Munua’s dive. The score remained level and nothing seemed to work for us.
To critics it might seem as though Mourinho had no other choice. Its partially true. But then again Morata is no proven striker and the situation wasn’t ideal for any manager to try out youngsters. We desperately needed three points and for Mou to send out the kid when the team needed a goal more than anything else was real gutsy and it said a lot about our manager’s confidence in him. The kid responded brilliantly nodding home from close range from yet another Xabi Alonso free kick with his first touch. The goal knocked the stuffing out of the home team and the game ended in our favor. Following the game there was a lot of banter with Juanlu claiming that the referee favored us whereas Ramos felt otherwise. There are also rumors that Ballesteros and Pepe went head to head while visiting Ronaldo after the game. More on that tomorrow.
All that aside it was a game which could have gone either way but went in favor of us. We are still behind our rivals in terms of points and we need wins of all kinds if we have to catch up.
Until next time,
Para Siempre Blanco!
Hala Madrid!!
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November 12, 2012 | Categories: Match Reports, Post-match Comments, Spanish Primera División | Tags: Álvaro Morata, Ángel Luis Rodríguez Díaz, Ciutat de Valencia, Cristiano Ronaldo, José Mourinho, Levante UD | Leave a comment