Real - Begin to Panic!

Today, Real Madrid played yet another very inefficient game. It was, surely, very uncomfortable for Real Madrid fans to watch.

Not that Mourinho's team lost any other match after the home defeat to Barcelona, but their once-very-impressive 10-point lead over Guardiola's men is now down to only 4 points, with the trip to Camp Nou still to come.

Considering that Valencia is 30 points behind Real, the Madrid team played very, very poorly. However, considering the fact that Valencia was in serious danger of losing third spot, and an automatic Champions League place for next season, it's no surprise that Valencia saw this game as a do-or-die encounter.

But the draw helps neither.

In the match itself, Valencia hit the post, and Real hit the post. Real had chances and Valencia had chances.

But the finishing from Mourinho's attacking men was very, very poor compared to what is generally expected from them. There were many shots and passes gone awry, particularly towards the end.
I don't mean to single out just one player, but I remember very vividly a chance, in the second half, where Benzema, after a pass from Ronaldo, should have done much, much better.
No, make that two huge chances. (There was one in injury time, too.)

Well, at least the Real players did not get sent off in this one, unlike in other previous encounters in which they've dropped points.

So, just four points between Real and Barca now. And seven matches left for each team.

And Real is going to play local rival Atletico Madrid, in just three-days' time, at a point when Barca could be just one point behind Real (because the team managed by Guardiola would have already played, on Tuesday).