Not much to talk about
With a round of pointless international friendlies coming up, there is not much to talk about. Unless you consider Marcelo’s venture into social networking as something worth discussing. Then of course there is the whole Cantera issue that has been going on and on for weeks now and has started getting to me as much as to Mourinho. Apart from that we can maybe ponder over whether Pepe really taunted Ballesteros or not. But in essence there is nothing worth talking about. Before you start questioning the intent behind this post let me get started.
Eight of our players have been called up by their respective national teams for friendlies most of which would be conducted on Wednesday. Nacho and Varane play on Tuesday for the U21s. Casillas, Ramos, and Albiol are in Central America, Pepe in West Africa, Di Maria is in East Asia, and Kaká in North America. With so much travel and the fatigue that is bound to be incurred I am confident that we will have yet another injury crisis as the rest of the team prepares to face Bilbao at home in the weekend and Man City away next week. That said, we had some good news at the Valdebebas with Khedira training with the first team. Benzema, who is still recovering, trained on the sidelines and would most probably stay out of the team for the weekend’s fixture. Higuaín, Özil and Ronaldo too are their respective nursing injuries. I am unsure about who would and wouldn’t be ready for this weekend’s game but I am sure I can give you a better idea in a day or two.
Marcelo is now on twitter. After his latest entry into instagram the Brazilian left back is now catching up with the rest of his up to date team mates on the mini blogging site. You can tweet him @12MarceloV. Rumor has it that he followed Cristiano before even LilWayne. Staying on the social wire and with Ronaldo, the Portuguese superstar uploaded a pic on instagram and facebook reassuring fans and warning teams that he would be back as soon as it was possible for him to see with both eyes. Knowing him, the world’s third best player, who now looks as though he got into a spat with bruce lee, should be ready to challenge Lil’ Lionel for the Pichichi this weekend.
Talking about trophies, Casillas, Ramos, and Alonso were chosen as the best goalkeeper, defender, and midfielder by the coaches in charge of the teams in the league last season. They collected their rewards in the weekend. Messi though continued to beat Ronaldo when it came to winning prizes. It now seems like a competition between the teacher’s pet and the class bully (considering how CR looks now).
Real have released an official statement about the exemplary behavior displayed by us post-game at Valencia. Levante’s overaged players complained about being taunted by Pepe in the tunnel and there were even rumors that Pepe and Ballesteros went at each other in the presence of CR while he was receiving treatment. I haven’t seen anything more petty in my life and will hence not deign to talk about it.
Till tomorrow,
Para Siempre Blanco!!
Hala Madrid!!
Portugal 0-4 Spain
Spain were in wretched form
Portugal gained a measure of revenge for their World Cup exit at the hands of Spain by inflicting a heavy 4-0 defeat on their Iberian neighbours in tonight’s friendly in Lisbon. Goals from Jorge Carlos Martins, visiting defender Sergio Ramos, who put into his own net, Helder Postiga and Hugo Almeida sealed a deserved win for the Portuguese, who were knocked out at the last-16 stage in South Africa as Spain went onto win their maiden World Cup crown. One of the reasons for tonight’s match was to promote the two Iberian countries’ joint bid to host the 2018 World Cup, but off-field alliances were firmly put to one side in a hard-fought and entertaining encounter at the Estadio da Luz.
Spain coach Vicente del Bosque started with ten of the side that began the FIFA World Cup final, with David Silva coming in for the ill Pedro Rodriguez as the only change. However, it wasPortugal who enjoyed the better of the first half with wide men Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani featuring heavily. Nani produced the first effort of the match in the second minute, his low 20-yard drive being turned behind by Iker Casillas, before Real Madrid star Ronaldo and Spain midfielder Sergio Busquets both picked up bookings in quick succession for crunching challenges on the other. Spain then twice went close through Andres Iniesta and Silva – who should have done better with a free header – before Portugal looked to have taken the lead in the 36th minute.
A fired-up Ronaldo cut inside Gerard Pique before scooping a shot over Real team-mate Casillas. The effort was going in but Nani headed the ball over the line from point-blank range and the goal was ruled out for offside. Ronaldo was far from pleased, throwing his captain’s armband to the floor, but the world’s most expensive player would have been happier eight minutes later after playing a key part in helpingPortugal take the lead. Martins had already gone agonisingly close to putting his side ahead just previously when his well-struck volley was headed off the line by Pique, but Spain did not survive a second time. Ronaldo showed great skill and strength to muscle his way past Busquets before firing in a thunderous shot from a tight angle that Casillas could only parry, and Martins slammed the loose ball home from near the penalty spot.
Both teams made a number of changes at the break, with Ronaldo among the players to make way and Spain striker Fernando Torres – who had been a doubt after suffering an ankle strain playing for Liverpool at the weekend – among those introduced. The first effort of the second half came from Spain, with Xabi Alonso attempting an audacious long-range lob that almost caught out Rui Patricio, but 60 seconds after that Portugal doubled their advantage. A good pass from Nani put Joao Moutinho in on the right and his low cross found its way into the back of the net via team-mate Postiga and Spain right-back Ramos. Postiga’s back-heel may have been going in but Ramos put the ball in whilst attempting to clear. Portugal should really have made it 3-0 in the 52nd minute but Nani’s attempted chip over Casillas was comfortably saved. Reigning world and European champions Spain attempted to rally, with Cesc Fabregas going close with a volley, but Portugal wrapped up a comprehensive win with two more goals in the final 23 minutes. Postiga made it 3-0 following good work by Danny and Moutinho before substitute Almeida completed the scoring after being put clean through by Pepe in injury time, a goal that sealed a third successive win for new Portugal coach Paulo Bento since he replaced Carlos Queiroz in September.
AC Milan vs Real Madrid | Preview
Let me go you prick!
This is no David vs Goliath kind of a game. Its more of a David on David or a Goliath on Goliath kind of a match up cause these two are equally big names. When Real Madrid face AC Milan in a European night at San Siro it just cannot get better. The two giants are statistically the top two teams in Europe and possess several of the top players of the past, present and the future. With this build up I go into tonight’s post where I will be previewing tonight’s clash at the San Siro between these two heavyweights (lightweights in case you feel its a David vs David kind of a game).
Jose Mourinho leads his troops into the city of Milan knowing that it is one battlefield where Madrid have never tasted victory. To put it straight Real Madrid have never won at the San Siro in 13 attempts. In fact ten of the games have ended in defeat. But then again, Milan have an equally poor field record against Mourinho’s teams losing eight out of the eight times that they have previously met over the past three years. But its an all new playing field tonight. History does not matter and neither do statistics. All that would matter is how ready the teams are to take advantage of the mistakes made by the other.
Mourinho spoke of Real’s poor record at the San Siro during yesterday’s press conference saying:
The fact that Real Madrid have never won in San Siro doesn’t add pressure. This is a hard place to play and win in. Madrid has had great teams and has not won. This is a tough field. TheTifosi help their team a lot. I am sure Milan fans are worried because Real Madrid can win here. We can win. It will be a great match; perhaps the most watched on European televisions. And the referee is fantastic. We are all obligated to perform well.
YES WE CAN. And if we do then the two games left in this phase of the competition would be dead rubber as Real would already be through as Group Leaders. But JM insists that shouldn’t be the case.
If we qualify for the next round tomorrow, some coaches may believe that the next two matches are not important and that they can put the Champions League on hold until February. Real Madrid is always required to play its best. We cannot play those next two matches thinking that we have taken care of business.
Milan on the other hand need a win tonight and possibly on the next match day as well. They are just coming out a loss against Juventus in the weekend in what was an important tie with respect to their title race. But Massimiliano Allegri insists when a team like Milan loses the criticism is almost ensured. This came from a man who has even fewer Champions League games in his pocket than Tottenham Hotspurs have:
We lost an important game in the league, but we had won the previous four. It’s OK to emphasise the fact when a team like Milan lose, and of course we can improve on many things, but there are also many positive signs that make me optimistic. This is a strong group of players, playing at a good level, so we have everything needed to win. We have to keep Real Madrid under pressure – we can’t repeat the technical mistakes we made in the first leg.
And under pressure we shall be. Returning from injury from them are key players like Massimo Ambrosini, Thiago Silva and Ronaldinho who can possibly make a difference. And Sergio Ramos was quick to acknowledge the talent that Milan possessed in their ranks and the difference that they could make. Speaking to the press ahead of the clash, the right back who missed the previous tie with the Rossoneri said:
No one questions the talent of players like Ronaldinho or Robinho. They are game-breakers, but I am more concerned about the entire squad. They have very talented and experienced players. We all have so much at stake.
AC MILAN SQUAD LIST:
Goalkeepers: Christian Abbiati, Marco Amelia;
Defenders: Luca Antonini, Marek Jankulovski, Alessandro Nesta, Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Thiago Silva, Gianluca Zambrotta, Mario Yepes;
Midfielders: Ignazio Abate, Massimo Ambrosini, Kevin-Prince Boateng, Mathieu Flamini, Gennaro Gattuso, Andrea Pirlo, Clarence Seedorf;
Forwards: Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Filippo Inzaghi, Alexandre Pato, Robinho, Ronaldinho.
As far as the absentees are concerned Massimo Oddo has been ruled out for four to six weeks after sustaining a left thigh problem in training on Friday. Daniele Bonera was replaced before half-time in their game against Juventus after picking up a knock to his left shin.
Like me Jose too does not care about the way they will come at us. But come at us they will with all the vengeance that their old bodies can muster. In the previous tie they preferred to use their old warhorses against our young guns and paid for it dearly. This time I am sure that will change. Thiago Silva will probably play and he should if you ask me. This is the time of the season when we need to be challenged and this is time to prove ourselves to the rest of the world. If I were to be Allegri, I’d play all the four Brazilians along with Ibrahimobitch and Captain Planet and the Planeteers and bring in the Swat Kats if I must to try and stop Real from giving my team a footballing lesson. But hell Allegri is not all that smart or at least doesn’t seem that way.
Amidst all this Sergio Ramos also spoke about Karim Benzema (a topic which I have covered enough about) and Howard Webb as well who will be officiating the game. Ramos called him his lucky charm but I am not sure Xabi Alonso would agree with his fellow Spaniard. The last time Alonso and Webb were on the same field Alonso almost left with a broken rib courtesy Dangerous De Jong. I sure hope we return with nothing less than tired legs back home. An injury at this point of the season can cripple the team’s form.
Talking about injuries, (in what could possibly be a move to unsettle Milan’s tactics devised by none other than Professor X himself) Angel Di Maria, I heard, apparently faced a late fitness test to determine whether or not he was fit to play tonight. The high-flying Argentine apparently suffered a bruised knee in training on Monday but was included in the squad as the coach was confident that he would recover in time. Pedro Leon or Karim Benzema were touted as being his replacements in case he had failed to recover in time.
The only ones still injured are Kaka, Garay and Gago. The latter is almost fine again as he trained with the squad on Monday. Lass, who had been injured for the past few weeks, is fine once again. But the Frenchman has not travelled with the side as Mourinho insisted that players not fit enough for a weekend game cannot be fit for a midweek clash. The rest 21 have all made the cut.
REAL MADRID SQUAD LIST:
Goalkeepers: Casillas, Dudek, Adan.
Defenders: Arbeloa, Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Albiol, Marcelo, Mateos, Carvalho.
Midfielders: Khedira, Alonso, Ozil, Diarra, Canales, Granero, Pedro Leon, Di Maria.
Forwards: Benzema, Higuain, Cristiano Ronaldo.
I am confident that Real will be playing the same formation as they have been playing till this point of the season – the 4-2-3-1 convertible. But what can possibly change is who plays and who doesn’t. Knowing Mourinho I don’t think there will be any but something tells me that Arbeloa might just get a game. Apart from that I don’t think there will be any changes to the side. Ozil, Di Maria and Ronaldo should give their defense a handful and hopefully get the better of the Milanese cunts.
Moving on and in case you didn’t already know Ruben De la Red has officially retired from all forms of the game and will take up a coaching role with the side. The player had remained optimistic of eventually making a return to the game, but Marca reports today that De La Red has accepted a coaching role at the club until his contract expires. Reports suggest that Florentino Perez had promised De La Red that the club would not leave him after the incident against Real Union, and now as promised the club have given him a role which can develop his coaching abilities alongside Jose Mourinho and Castilla boss Alejandro Menendez. De La Red’s position is thought help him to progress into working with one of the youth teams at the club and help players progress through the ranks. Sad but I am happy for the player. He was arguably one of the best midfielders that Castilla had ever produced and definitely would have played a vital role in the team if not for the condition that he suffers from.
And that brings this post to an end.
Hoping for a Real win.
Until next time,
Para Siempre Blanco!
Hala Madrid!!
What they say about Raul
Real Madrid squad members agree that Real Madrid is bidding farewell to a one-of-a-kind captain, player and legend. Here is what they had to say about Raul.
"Raul is an icon and will forever be a part of Real Madrid"
Iker Casillas:
Raul is a symbol of Real Madrid. A great captain is defined by ups and downs, knowing how to always make the best of any situation. Raul is an example of professionalism and he helped me grow as a player and person. The incredible histories of clubs are written by great footballers, and Raul is one of them.
Cristiano Ronaldo:
Playing by Raul’s side has been an honor. I always dreamed of doing so as a kid. It was an honor to share the same dressing room and I wish him all the best.
Xabi Alonso:
Raul represents the values of Real Madrid. He is a symbol and a part of this club’s history. It isn’t easy to play for Real Madrid for 15 years, but he did because is a magnificent player.
Kaka:
Raul is an amazing player and an important member of this club. Raul will forever be a part of Madridismo and his leaving is a sad day for fans and teammates.
What they say about Guti
Real Madrid captain Iker Casillas, along with his teammates had nothing but kind words for departing teammate Guti on his last day as a Real Madrid player.
"One of the greatest footballers and a role model for Real Madrid academy players is leaving and we will really miss him because he is an exceptional person"
Florentino Perez:
As President of Real Madrid, I wish to thank Guti for everything he’s done for the Club these past 24 years. Spending a lifetime defending and fighting for our team shows the degree of loyalty and passion he has for Real Madrid. I will never forget the incredibly important offer Guti received from great club AC Milan when I entered office for the first time in 2000. He nevertheless chose to remain with us.
Guti was and is a different player who has exceptional talent. That’s why he has always had a special room in the heart of all our fans worldwide.
His career has unquestionably become part of Real Madrid history. His contribution to the title success the team has had these years proves just how lucky Madridismo has been to have him. Real Madrid will forever be his home.
I had the chance to talk to him this mornring and, as President, thanked him in the name of all Madridistas for everything he’s given us, for his talent and for the imagination he’s showcased on the pitch.
Guti begins a new stage in his life and I’m sure he will continue to prove his quality. I wish him luck in this new venture. He knows Madridismo will never forget him.
Iker Casillas:
Guti is a great player, a great person and a great captain. He leaves us now but he will always be part of Real Madrid. As a footballer, he has always been one of the most talented players I have ever seen in my life. As a person, I have known him from the past 10 years. He is very kind-hearted and I consider him to be a good friend. I am never going to forget his moves, passes and superb matches. He will always be part of Real Madrid’s history and I will miss him very much.
The focus shifts to South Africa
With yet another thrilling season of La Liga completed and having crowned FC Barcelona as Champions yet again the focus now shifts to South Africa where the FIFA World Cup 2010 will take place. Madridistas taking part in this edition of arguably the World’s biggest sporting event will include Iker Casillas, Raul Albiol, Sergio Ramos, Xabi Alonso, Alvaro Arbeloa, Cristiano Ronaldo, Pepe, Kaka, Gonzalo Higuain and Rafael van der Vaart. Lass and Benzema will miss out on helping France due to an injury and a strategic decision respectively while Metzelder too has been excluded from the Germany side chosen to represent the country.
The World Cup kicks off on June 11th with Spain being tipped as the favorites to win considering their impeccable run in to the trophy having not dropped a single point during qualification. Like all the other players, Albiol too is excited about the World Cup. Speaking to the press with reference to the same he said:
Spain are favorites, like some of the other teams are. We have to prove this. We must be humble and work hard to win our games. Every Spaniard dreams about winning the World Cup.
Compatriot Xabi Alonso though is keen to avoid the favorites tag. Alonso told GQ:
We have a good opportunity . We don’t think if we’re favourites. What does it mean to be favourite? It doesn’t add anything. The team is in a good way, but we learned at the Confederations Cup that if we had a bad day we were out of the race.
In this sort of competition you have to be really consistent and it’s very important that the players arrive in good shape. This year we have a lot of determination and conviction; there are reasons to believe that we can win the World Cup.
Argentina, Brazil, The Netherlands and Germany go in as the other favorites while Portugal, Italy and France are not as strong as they were in the previous versions of the prestigious trophy.
The road to the World for the various Madridistas can be summarized as follows. The Reds began preparing for the championship on 24 May. Casillas, Arbeloa, Ramos, Albiol and Xabi Alonso joined their Spanish team-mates in Las Rozas. The team’s preparation will follow three stages: Spain, Austria and Spain again. Higuain’s national side started preparing for the World Cup on 20 May in the sports grounds of the Argentinean FA. The team will travel to South Africa on 28 May. Kaka’s team met on 21 May at Atletico Paranaense’s training facilities. They will leave for Johannesburg five days later. Their flight will have a stage in Brasilia, where the team will be received by President Lula da Silva. Cristiano Ronado and Pepe are currently with Portugal, who got together on 14 May. The team will leave for Johannesburg on 5 June. Van der Vaart’s national team will remain in Seefeld, Tyrol (Austria), between 19 and 31 May. They will face Hungary in their last pre-World Cup match on 5 June.
No surprises as far as which team I will be supporting. It will be Spain and Hala Madrid will follow The Reds throughout their campaign right from their pre-World Cup friendly on 29th May against the Saudi Arabians.
Para Siempre Blanco!
Hala Madrid!!
The 23 men who will win the World Cup for Spain
Vicente del Bosque confirmed his final selection of the 23 men who will travel to South Africa on Thursday afternoon in which he named the Barcelona duo of Pedro and Victor Valdes who have never won a cap for Spain, along with Athletic Bilbao midfielder Javi Martinez. All five Madridistas who made the preliminary squad have made the cut.
Valdes joins the squad as third-choice goalkeeper, behind Iker Casillas and Pepe Reina, having edged in front of Diego Lopez and David De Gea in Del Bosque’s plans. Pedro, 22, is also included after scoring 22 goals in all competitions for Barcelona this season and the forward joins Jesus Navas, Juan Manuel Mata, Fernando Llorente, Fernando Torres and David Villa in Del Bosque’s attacking ranks.
Torres and Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas have both been named in the squad despite nursing injuries that prevented them from featuring at the conclusion of the Premier League season.
The coach was forced to cut seven players and most notable among those was midfielder Marcos Senna, who played a key role in the country’s success at Euro 2008. Fellow Villarreal star Santi Cazorla and Fenerbahce striker Dani Guiza also miss out despite their participation at Austria and Switzerland. Osasuna defender Cesar Azpilicueta and Sevilla striker Alvaro Negredo make up the remainder of the seven players that have been culled from Del Bosque’s preliminary squad.
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.
Sergio Ramos press conference
Sergio Ramos talked about the team’s upcoming match after training this morning.
"We still believe we can win the league title"
Goal:
Our goal is to take 98 points and wait for Barcelona’s result. The number of points both teams have is amazing. It’s incredible no-one has won the title yet. We’ve had a great season and we still believe we can win the title.
Focus:
We must focus on our match against Malaga, but we don’t depend on ourselves and have to wait for Barcelona’s match to end. It would be a mistake for us to think about it while we play. We have to focus on what we do.
Stakes:
There is much at stake for both Valladolid and Malaga. They fight to avoid relegation. Both games will be complicated.
Del Bosque announces the provisional squad
Vicente Del Bosque has named injured trio Fernando Torres, Cesc Fabregas and Andres Iniesta in his initial 30-man World Cup squad, while uncapped Barcelona forward Pedro and goalkeeper Victor Valdes is also included. Other than that there are no major surprises in the provisional 30.
Torres, Fabregas and Iniesta all played an important role in Spain’s Euro 2008 triumph and impeccable qualifying campaign for this summer’s finals, and Del Bosque appears willing to gamble on their fitness. Iniesta and Barcelona team-mate Xavi have both been injured of late, while Fabregas missed the run-in to Arsenal’s season and Torres has also been on the sidelines for Liverpool.
But Xavi has recently returned to the first-team fold with the Catalans and Fabregas confirmed that he is “on schedule” with his rehabilitation from a cracked fibula. Torres and Iniesta have also expressed their belief that they will be fit and raring to go for the finals.
Sevilla winger Jesus Navas is included after another impressive season, and he has reportedly been receiving treatment to try to overcome the well-documented problems with travel anxiety that had looked likely to hamper his chances of playing at the World Cup.
Del Bosque has selected five goalkeepers in the list, with uncapped duo Victor Valdes of Barcelona and Atletico Madrid youngster David De Gea likely to be battling out with Villarreal’s Diego Lopez to see who will be joining Iker Casillas and Jose Reina in the final squad.
Aside from the players who have featured regularly for the European champions in recent times, Del Bosque has also named Barca winger Pedro, Osasuna defender Cesar Azpilicueta and Athletic Bilbao midfielder Javi Martinez in the list, though there is no place for talented youngsters Bojan Krkic and Sergio Canales, or Spain’s record scorer Raul.
Spain provisional squad:
Goalkeepers: Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), David De Gea (Atletico Madrid), Diego Lopez (Villarreal), Jose Reina (Liverpool) Victor Valdes (Barcelona).
Defenders: Raul Albiol (Real Madrid), Alvaro Arbeloa (Real Madrid) Cesar Azpilicueta (Osasuna), Joan Capdevila (Villarreal), Carlos Marchena (Valencia), Gerard Pique (Barcelona), Carles Puyol (Barcelona), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid).
Midfielders: Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid), Sergi Busquets (Barcelona), Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), Javi Martinez (Athletic Bilbao) Marcos Senna (Villarreal), David Silva (Valencia), Xavi (Barcelona).
Forwards: Santi Cazorla (Villarreal), Jesus Navas (Sevilla), Juan Manuel Mata (Valencia) Pedro Rodriguez (Barcelona), Dani Guiza (Fenerbache) Fernando Llorente (Athletic Bilbao), Alvaro Negredo (Sevilla), Fernando Torres (Liverpool FC) and David Villa (Valencia).
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.
Bilbao pre-preview
We are down to the last two games of the season and it has been quite a long one already. We still do not know where La Liga title is heading and this week probably will be decisive as far as the league title is concerned as Real face Athletic Bilbao at Estadio Santiago Bernabéu in 21:00 CET game on Saturday and Barça face off against Sevilla at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán.
King of Mallorca, the leader, our hope
He is one of the best professionals I’ve seen. He’s a winner, someone who does not want to miss a game. He says what he thinks, but he also has a mindset that is focused on the collective.
He is the first to arrive and the last leave training. I see him and say to myself, ‘I have to train harder’. He’s a wonderful guy, a total leader.
– Raúl González on Cristiano Ronaldo
When someone like Raúl has that to say about you then you are definitely worth all the money in the World. And Cristiano Ronaldo is! The Portuguese single-handedly demolished Champions League chasing Mallorca by scoring a brilliant hat-trick at ONO Estadi on Wednesday in a 4-1 win for Real. It was his first hat-trick for us and they were his 23rd, 24th and 25th goals in the league this season and made brought his tally to 5 goals this week alone. His first two goals were provided by Sergio Ramos and he spoke about them on Punto Poleda:
Our first goal against Mallorca came from a sort of play we pull off often. I noticed Cristiano was leaving his markers behind and the bounce of the ball suited his speed. The second goal was similar. The ball went straight in both cases and we luckily scored.
And both will play a very vital role if we are to win tomorrow night against Athletic – Cristiano in offense and Sergio Ramos in defense. As Higuaín put it Bilbao will not be an easy game and we need to show the World how much this title means to us yet again this weekend.
Athletic Bilbao have a long history of success and they deserve credit year in and year our. We need to win this game to show how bad we want to win the league. We hope to go to Malaga as the top team in the table even though all we are thinking about is winning our next two matches.
Warnings galore
As much as we are aware of the threat they possess their players have already sent out signs warning us that they are ready for us. First up it was Ander Itturaspe who said:
We will have plenty to say at the Bernabeu. They have players of the highest standard in the world in attack. They are players who, if they get their chances usually are not forgiving
And then David Lopez:
This season we have already played very well against good teams and we have shown that we know how to cause them worry. We already won against Real Madrid at home; why can’t we do the same there? We are going to do our very best to take the three points or a draw.
Yet another team with a European dream
Athletic Bilbao are looking to qualify for Europe next season. They are currently eighth on the table, one point shy of reaching their goal. Considering their dismal away record this calendar year it doesn’t seem like happening in the next game. Bilbao have won 10 of their 18 games as locals, losing just 4 but have taken only half of those points on the road. They’ve only won 4 away games this season though but none of them in 2010.
Real Madrid and Athletic Bilbao have clashed 78 times in la Liga, resulting in 50 victories for the Whites, 15 draws and 13 wins for the Basques. Real Madrid defeated them 3-2 at the Bernabeu last season thanks to two goals from Higuain.
Lass and Marcelo return; a few worries for Bilbao
Marcelo returns to Manuel Pellegrini’s squad list to face Athletic Bilbao following last week’s suspension. Lass has recovered from his back injury and has also made the cut. Raul, Van der Vaart and Pepe are the only ones who will miss the match due to injuries. No Castillla player has been called up.
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
Probable Starting XI: Real Madrid
As far as Bilbao are concerned apart from having a few long term casualties on their injury list including the likes of Ion Velez and Aitor Ocio there are doubts over the fitness of a few regular first teamers such as Koikili, Pablo Orbaiz and Javier Martinez.
ATHLETIC CLUB SQUAD LIST
Goalkeepers: Iraizoz, Armando
Defenders: Koikili, Ustaritz, Amorebieta, San Jose, Iraola, Iturraspe
Midfielders: Yeste, Gabilondo, Susaeta, Gurpegi, Javi Martinez
Defenders: Toquero, Llorente, Muniain, De Marcos, Etxeberria
Probable Starting XI: Athletic Bilbao
And here we go again…
Transfer speculations have begun all over again as the opening of the transfer window nears. Edin Dzeko, Steven Gerrard (!), Juan Manuel Vargas have all been linked to the club while Van der Vaart (to Liverpool) and Higuain (to Chelsea should they fail to get Torres) have been linked out of the club. I guess its time to start Season 2 of Ins and Outs.
Prediction: Real Madrid 4-2 Athletic Bilbao
Para Siempre Blanco!
Hala Madrid!!
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.
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.
Post-match comments
Manuel Pellegrini was very satisfied with the victory over Valencia. The coach had words of praise for all his men. Valencia coach Unai Emery admitted that his side were simply beaten by a better team. The Real Madrid squad was happy with the victory. Everyone agrees the league is still open.
"I am proud of my men's mental strength"
Pellegrini:
We studied Valencia’s style thoroughly, so I am delighted with the victory. I am proud of my men’s mental strength and fighting spirit.
We’ve won 15 of our 16 home games in La Liga and we’ve also scored an important number of goals. I am very satisfied with what my men do both on and off the pitch. It was very important to win in Almeria and seal that victory with another one here tonight. We are a straightforward and goal-scoring team.
We try to make progress in each game. Our intention is to always win.
I am very happy for Guti. He is having a great run, but we need our 23 men to be in top form if we are to win the title.
Emery:
Madrid has been better and that is reflected on the scoreboard. At Real Madrid’s home ground it is very difficult to stop them because they have great potential. The result is fair and we have not challenged effectively.
We came with the intention of winning the game, but our opponents are competing for the league and have been better than us. The difference is how often they have chances to score and the result, that is the reason for the difference in the table between [everyone else] and Real Madrid and Barcelona.
The first thing is to get back that offensive and defensive strength. We must reinforce our home form and strengthen it on the road. We must win five games. There is no cushion whatsoever, we go match by match. Away from home we must have more chances to win, I am convinced that will change things.
Guti:
We had many chances on goal and managed to control the entire match despite facing a great team.
We are proving the league is far from over. We have to win every game to put pressure on Barcelona. We have to make them feel we are coming closer to them each week. Barcelona and Real Madrid are the two best teams in the championship. The winner of the title will be the side that does best from here on end.
MRIs Galore – Almeria pre-preview
UNLEASH THE KRAZEN!
The worst hangover a Madridista can have is the post-(title-hopes-deciding-Clásico-loss) one. And what makes you feel even worse is to see a host of players on the injured list just when you think that the whole team is finally recovering from injuries and suspensions. This week is one such and I am still recovering from the hangover. And before I could recover we seem to have yet another game to play, this time against Almería at the Estadio del Mediterráneo.
The week started in a lousy fashion as usual. Sunday was given off to the players and they returned to training on Monday when the news came out that an MRI performed on Raúl González at Sanitas La Moraleja revealed that the player has post-traumatic inflammation of his right meniscus; an injury that is expected to keep him sidelined between two and three weeks. El Siete along with Rafael van der Vaart, Kaká and Pepe worked out in the gym while the sole consolation was that Royston Drenthe seemed to have recovered from his injury. The wing-back was seen jogging at a normal pace along with his team mates.
The same day Valdano went on air with Cadena Ser and reassured us fans that the team is committed to winning the last seven games. He emphasised the fact that should that happen the 98 points we finish with will be historic. But what he didn’t mention would be the fact that if Barça too go undefeated they will end up with 101. But that isn’t how a Madridista thinks is it?
He then spoke about his hopes about our €56 million summer signing Ricardo Kaká coming back and making a big impact in the remaining seven games of which he might play only four or five probably.
Once Kaka returns we hope he can provide some answers… big answers. He has improved quite a bit. Let’s see if he is able to help us down the final stretch.
What he then said was the best part of the whole interview. While Marca had gone on and on about replacing him at the helm, Valdano simply killed all the nonsense talk, saying:
We are not looking for a new coach. Despite last weekend’s disappointment he always stays calm and has the strength to continue. Every Monday is the same for him whether the team wins or loses. He always confronts each week with peace of mind, which is quite a blessing when coaching a team like Real Madrid.
And that restored some peace in my head. It didn’t hurt as much as it did earlier in the day.
Then came Tuesday and yet another MRI was performed. This time it was on Christoph Metzelder after he abandoned Tuesday’s training sesssion. It was confirmed that the player is suffering from acute tendinitis in his right patelar tendon ergo is expected to miss two to three, during which he will undergo medical treatment and physiotherapy. Rafael van der Vaart returned to train with the rest of the group as did fellow Dutchman Royston Drenthe whereas Kaká and Raúl continued to train indoors. While Van der Vaart was expected to make the cut for tonight’s game the other three weren’t.
Wednesday was the usual closed door session and the focus had officially shifted to Almería. Juanma Lillo took over from Hugo Sanchez in Week 16 and the team now sits in the middle of the league table. With 37 points, Almería are nine clear of the danger zone with seven matches left to play. This year they have lost only two times at home, where they earned an important victory against Atlético Madrid and drew against Barcelona.
Though we won 4-2 in the home game against them since changing their name to UD Almeria they have not lost at home to Real Madrid. One victory and one draw against the Whites in the last two years show how tough the ground really has been for us. Almeria though are without a win in their last three league matches making predicting this game’s outcome a bitch.
Lillo has a full-strength squad to choose from aside from the injured Chico.
Real Madrid are coming out of their first loss at home this season. Los Merengues lost 2-0 to Barcelona in what might turn out to be the turning point in this season’s title race. It was the first time this season that we dropped points at home and the tide now favors Barcelona as far as La Liga is concerned. Sergio Ramos pointed out perfectly in his preview for the game in bwin.com that it would be a mistake to dwell on our last match because the league is still in play. Mathematically we are still in it and the last seven games will show us the real difference between the likes of Juande Ramos, Schuster etc. and Manuel Pellegrini. Last season we lost several consecutive games on the trot after the loss to Barcelona in the Clásico even though we were still in the race. This time we are in a similar situation and are now six points behind with a game in hand. The title race in England, Germany, Italy and France have shown us that anything is possible in football and we must be ready to take it when they come by. Ramos concurs:
We need to capitalize on the opportunities we are given. Almeria haven’t spent many years in Primera Division, but they always show up to play and we have a lot of respect for them. They aren’t by any means a pushover, but we have our weapons and hope to earn the win.
And that is what we must do. Respect but demolish Almería.
Manuel Pellegrini announced the names of the 18 men who will travel to Almeria later this evening for tomorrow’s match. Real Madrid Castilla’s Mateos and Juanfran made the final cut, while Garay was left out due to suspension and Raul, Metzelder, Kaka, Drenthe and Pepe remain unavailable due to injury.
Goalkeepers: Casillas, Dudek.
Defenders: Arbeloa, Ramos, Albiol, Marcelo, Mateos.
Midfielders: Xabi Alonso, Gago, Lass, Diarra, Guti, Van der Vaart, Granero.
Forwards: Benzema, Higuain, Cristiano Ronaldo, Juanfran.
Probable Starting XI: Casillas, Arbeloa, Ramos, Albiol, Marcelo, Gago, Xabi Alonso, Granero, Van der Vaart, Higuaín, Ronaldo.
Prediction: Almería 1-3 Real Madrid
Para Siempre Blanco!
Hala Madrid!!
Sergio Ramos press conference
During Monday’s press conference, Sergio Ramos reiterated the sentiment expressed by his coach and teammates following Saturday’s defeat against Barcelona.
"We need to focus on winning the next seven games"
Title hopes:
This team will fight to the death to win this league. We need to be at our strongest. Twenty-one points are still in play. The lead is manageable, so we need to win the seven remaining matches. Thinking about Barcelona’s road matches against Sevilla and Villarreal is inevitable. There is a chance they won’t earn all those points and we aspire to take all of ours. The league we won with Capello appeared to be lost but we ended up winning it.
Almeria:
Whether I play as a center back against Almeria due to Garay’s absence is up to the coach. All I am interested in is playing. It’s an honor to play for this team.
Pellegrini:
We are standing by Pellegrini through thick and thin and always have. He has our full support and we will always assume responsibilty for him.
Post-match comments
Jorge Valdano refused to concede defeat to Barcelona in the Liga despite the Blaugrana’s win. Joan Laporta was in high spirits. Manuel Pellegrini was disappointed with his team’s defeat, but believes the league is far from over as there are still 21 points in play. Pep Guardiola admitted that it was not a dazzling victory, but one that needed a lot of courage and heart. The Real Madrid squad is “frustrated and hurt” for losing to Barcelona at the Bernabeu, but all the players believe the title can still be won. Messi said that beating Real was the first step to win the title. Andres Iniesta has issued a message of caution to his colleagues after Barcelona defeated Real Madrid, insisting that there are seven vital fixtures to go before the title is theirs. Goalscorer Pedro also discussed his satisfaction at the win, and his joy at netting the decisive second goal that extinguished Real Madrid’s hopes of victory, but was equally as cautious as his teammate, Iniesta.
Valdano:
We need to keep calm. We have to deal with the seven remaining games, and fight until the end. Seven games ago, Barcelona were five points ahead of us and we were able to cut that down. Now we hope to have a second chance.
The support are upset. Once again they got behind the team and I must thank them. I can’t speak ill of the team either, because they battled right until the end.
Laporta:
The important thing was to play the match as we did and take all three points. It was a very tough game but the team worked hard. We dedicate this to all the Barcelonistas throughout the world as we know that this is now a global game. We can’t think about the League Title now. We must be cautious and respectful, as we have been.
Pellegrini:
We lost the ball many times and were defeated by a team that is currently better than us. There are still 21 points in play and Real Madrid is not about to give up. We will keep trying to the very end.
I think my men were anxious to win. Barcelona hardly had any chances on our goal during the first half, but their first strike played a key role. We should have been calmer and had more moments to pause and think.
This is an important defeat, but there are still 21 points at stake. We could have done more things tonight. Barcelona didn’t play at their usual level, but their first goal strengthened their game. I think we could have hurt them much more.
In the engineer we believe
To me he is just an under-grown, malnutrition-ed cunt but to the rest of the football world: Lionel Messi is the best player in the World. Lionel Messi is Barça’s Messi-ah and the real Next Maradona. Lionel Messi makes the impossible possible. Lionel Messi is on fire. Lionel Messi has left everyone in awe of the best player ever. Lionel Messi has a human nature. Lionel Messi defeated Arsenal 4-1. Lionel Messi is both this and that. And the best of them all – Lionel Messi is God.
So how do we stop Lionel Messi is the question raised now. How will Real Madrid stop a player who already has 39 goals this season? Marca makes it look really simple by saying that the obvious solution, the anti-dote to control the menace of Leo ‘flea’ Messi is none other than Álvaro Arbeloa. They say the right way to control a lefty who plays on the right is by deploying a righty who can play on the left.
I am unsure about the lefty-righty theory they’re using but one thing is clear and that’s the fact that Arbeloa is miles ahead of Marcelo when it comes to defending. But it isn’t just about who is going to defend in the area in which he will attack. Its about the team as a whole. And only one man can influence that – El Inginiero Manuel Pellegrini. Sergio Ramos too, like me, believes in the engineer and while speaking about the Clásico said:
Barcelona have a style of their own. It doesn’t matter who plays because the whole squad has the same philosophy. We’ll have to have a clear idea of what it is we must do and play how Pellegrini wants us to.
That is exactly what we’ll have to do – stick to the engineer’s plan and implement it to perfection. Barça might be all about Xavi and Messi but we must not get carried away while trying to stop them thus letting cunts like Ibrahimović snatch a goal against us like last time out. This time we need to be wary of their unit as a whole. I am not taking anything away from our performance last time around. Except for the goal which should have been disallowed for offside, we did not give them too many chances. We were tight in defense and were sharp on the counter. And all this was away from home when we were just gelling as a team. We are way better now and still haven’t dropped a single point at home in the league. And we seem to have the knack of winning games in a dirty manner – something we haven’t had for a few years now but something that earmarks Champions. So the game is ours for the taking. We are clearly the favorites. Guti, while speaking to Marca, summed up whatever I am trying to say here beautifully:
We could have won the first leg match at Camp Nou. It is now time for us to defeat them at the Bernabeu. I think we can do it. We are strong at home and we will have the support of our fans. We have players who are capable of scoring at any given time.
But then again, we can’t just go out and play without a plan. It all comes back to the manager. The players are the ones who will perform but its the manager’s job to tell them how to do it. And I am sure Manuel Pellegrini knows what to do.
Xabi Alonso gave his thoughts about the game and Real in general in his interview to Marca.
In other news, Michel Salgado has told The Sun that he believes Real may move for Rafa Benitez this summer. I wish to move on.
Moving on, Rubén de la Red underwent a minor procedure day before yesterday to have a mini-Holster heart monitor (a portable device that will continuously monitor various electrical activity of the central nervous system) implanted subcutaneously. According to reports, De La Red will keep the device implanted during the next few months to monitor his heart condition. That’s good news. He will be a welcome addition to the squad for next season.
And finally news from the training ground. Kaká and Drenthe are still out of action. Marca reports that the Brazilian will not even make the squad list for Saturday’s kick-off as will Drenthe. Considering the form he was in before getting “injured” I’d not play him in such an important game after not playing for so many days.
That is about it for today.
Till tomorrow,
Para Siempre Blanco!
Hala Madrid!!
Get Silva for Silverware
An even shorter post today as I am totally swamped.
Raúl will leave the club at the end of the season if the club agree to pay out the last remaining year on his contract, according to AS. Why? His worst goals to games ratio in 16 years in the first team.
Its AS again. And Real Madrid have reportedly identified Valencia star David Silva as the prime transfer target for next season. They feel that it is our midfield that needs strengthening considering the possible departures of Guti, Lass, Diarra and Gago. They even went on to say that we almost signed him towards the end of last season.
Zinedine Zidane does not have any doubts about Kaká, thinks Franck Ribery was born to play at Real Madrid, feels Benzema has the talent, but he needs do what Madrid demands of him, thinks Raul is an example and that his attitude is phenomenal and finally even though does not know Pellegrini very well he would maintain him as the coach. Phew!
Milan want Sergio Ramos. Ramos is currently in talks with Real over a contract extension to his current 2013 deal, but the club have deferred a decision because he is asking for €6million per annum. Enough said. Give him what he wants.
Para Siempre Blanco!
Hala Madrid!!
Post-match comments
Director General Jorge Valdano expressed his pleasure with the team’s performance following the 3-2 derby win. Manuel Pellegrini offered his impression of the derby victory during the post-match press conference. Atletico Madrid coach Quique Flores was left to rue injuries to Juan Valera and Jose Antonio Reyes as they lost the city derby to Real Madrid at the Bernabéu. Xabi Alonso scored Real Madrid’s first goal of the evening and provided the precision pass that Arbeloa fired home to give the Whites the lead. Higuin later added the third, which proved to be the game-winner. Cristiano Ronaldo, Fernando Gago, Sergio Ramos and Esteban Granero appeared in the mixed zone following Real Madrid’s victory on Sunday to discuss the significance of the match.
Valdano:
Derbies are always unique. We were a little antsy at first, but in the last ten minutes of the first half and the entire second half we were a whirlwind of energy. The final score doesn’t reflect all the chances we had. We scored three goals again. This team’s scoring streak is quite impressive.
We need to continue winning. We need to go to Santander with the same attitude and our players need to maintain their rhythm. Real Madrid have had an admirable season. We have scored 84 goals and have notched 74 points with nine games to play.
I am very pleased for Arbeloa. He scored a beautiful goal that gave us the lead at a very tough stage in the match.
Pellegrini:
It was important to play well after the restart. We scored three goals and had chances to score more. We had a clear idea of what we wanted and I think the penalty allowed Atletico to gain confidence.
We were somewhat static during the first half, but we controlled every action after the restart. Perhaps we didn’t have clear opportunities during the first twenty minutes, but we they were intense opportunities. The football we played was enough to beat Atletico, which is all that counts.
Atletico are a good team that are competing in three competitions. We had to work hard. What interests me more than the point difference is the way we played and earned a fair victory.
The fact that Cristiano Ronaldo is so aware of the shots that could have been scored is just part of his game. I believe in him and Higuain. They don’t think about being the top scorers, although I hope they finish like that.
We had to beat Atletico and now Racing and Barcelona await. I have complete faith in the squad and in whoever is on the pitch.
Quique Flores:
We have been affected by the departure of Valera and Reyes and especially by the fact they scored so early in the second half. From there, the game has been different.
The start of the second half has been the key. Time would have been our friend had we managed to maintain our concentration and our handling of the situation. But all the goals could have been averted. A stationary ball, an error and a cross. We made a decent effort and we were quite close to achieving something positive.
Forcing the fifth booking – Atletico pre-preview
Ramos (foreground) to Xabi (background): "Do something like this and we'll be cleared for the Clasico!"
The whole world has already started up build up for the upcoming Él Clasíco at the Bernabéu. I say so because more than El Derbi Madrileño itself the fact that is bothering everyone is whether Xabi Alonso and Sergio Ramos would force a fifth booking that would see them suspended for the visit to Sergio Canales’ Racing Santander at the Sardinero next week instead of risking an appearance at the title deciding game on April 10/11.
What we must not forget is the fact that Atlético Madrid are the only Spanish team still alive in all three competitions even though they aren’t exactly in contention for the league title. They will play in the Copa del Rey final and they recently qualified to face Valencia in the quarterfinals of the Europa League. None of their players are suspended for the derby against Real Madrid and Tiago was the only one niggled but is now deemed fit to play.
ATLETICO MADRID SQUAD LIST:
GOALKEEPERS: Asenjo, De Gea
DEFENDERS: Valera, Antonio López, Juanito, Ujfalusi, Domínguez, Perea
MIDFIELDERS: Tiago, Camacho, Jurado, Assunçao, Salvio, Reyes, Simao, Rubén Perez
FORWARDS: Forlán, Agüero, Ibrahima
José Antonio Reyes and strikers Sergio Agüero and Diego Forlán are in fine form despite Atlético’s current eighth position on the table. Their league form has been full of crests and troughs but Thursday’s victory against Bilbao can only indicate that they’re in fine nick. But what Real Madrid can rely on is the fact that Atlético have never performed in a weekend clash that has fallen after a midweek game. But they are only five points away from reaching Europa League qualifying position, which seems feasible given the fact that they are yet to host games against three relegation threatened sides and have to clash with direct opponents as well.
Their coach and former Madridista Quique Sanchez Flores took over in October and the changes in style he made are just beginning to pay off. The team is more creative in attack now and better on a tactical level. Youth teamers De Gea and Dominguez have become key players and Ibrahima has pulled rank in crucial moments for his team. Then again, the fact that they’ve only won two games (Valladolid, Xerez) and drawn three (Valencia, Tenerife, Racing) on the road favors us.
But St.Iker was spot on with his description of our local rivals. Speaking in a fair play event in the city recently, he said:
Atletico are unpredictable. They are capable of playing the best football around. They’ve pulled through in their decisive games this season. The three points at stake are vital to us to continue aspiring to win La Liga.
Casillas also accepted that Daniel Parejo did nothing wrong in a clash that led to Getafe’s first goal on Thursday night despite Pellegrini labelling him disloyal. He said:
When you dedicate yourself to this sport there are some heated moments and yesterday was one of them. I have nothing to complain about with regard to Parejo. He did what he had to do and he wasn’t at fault at all. He took the ball off me cleanly and the rules are clear. A player doesn’t have to kick the ball out if the referee is right there on the spot.
And frankly our players would’ve done the same thing as Parejo did in a similar situation. Fair play people.
After missing matches against Sporting and Getafe, Mahamadou Diarra has recovered from his injury and is available for action on Sunday. But Pellegrini and co. will be without Garay, Benzema, Drenthe, Kaká and Lass – all of whom remain in sick bay. Castilla’s Mosquera and Marcos Alonso have also been called up. Garay was injured during Thursday’s game and will miss up to 10 days.
REAL MADRID SQUAD LIST:
GOALKEEPERS: Casillas, Dudek
DEFENDERS: Albiol, Arbeloa, Ramos, Metzelder, Marcelo, Marcos Alonso
MIDFIELDERS: Gago, Diarra, Guti, Xabi Alonso, Mosquera, Van der Vaart, Granero
FORWARDS: Cristiano Ronaldo, Raúl, Higuaín
As far as my advice to the team is concerned, I don’t have much to add. The Madrid derby is as freaky as it can get but one thing is clear Atlético can never beat Real in the Bernabéu.
Probable Starting XI: Casillas, Arbeloa, Albiol, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, Gago, Xabi Alonso, Granero, Van der Vaart, Cristiano Ronaldo, Higuaín;
Prediction: Real Madrid 4-2 Atlético Madrid
Para Siempre Blanco!
Hala Madrid!!
Just another Madridista
Hala Madrid 
Standard Liege 1-1 Real Madrid | Post-match comments
Mourinho: "We couldn't afford not to sign a player like Ozil"
Jose Mourinho addressed the media after the match in Liege and said he is happy with the signing of Ozil.
Raul Albiol, Sergio Ramos and goal scorer Rafael van der Vaart shared their views on the game and the signing of Ozil with the media.
Albiol:
Ramos:
Van der Vaart:
Share this:
August 18, 2010 | Categories: Friendlies, Post-match Comments | Tags: José Mourinho, R. Standard de Liège, Raúl Albiol, Rafael van der Vaart, Sergio Ramos, Stade de Sclessin | Leave a comment