FC Barcelona --> Champions League Group Stage
Real Madrid --> Champions League Group Stage
Atletico Madrid --> Champions League Group Stage
Real Sociedad San Sebastian --> Champions League Play-off Round
Valencia CF --> Europa League Group Stage
Betis Sevilla --> Europa League Play-off Round
Sevilla CF --> Europa League Third Qualifying Round
Notes: Malaga was excluded from European competitions, by UEFA, due to unpaid bills. Rayo Vallecano was excluded from European competitions and denied (UEFA) license, by UEFA, for immersion in a creditor contest.
Showing posts with label Real Madrid. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Real Madrid. Show all posts
Friday, 21 June 2013
Friday, 17 May 2013
No Trophies for Real
Well, after bouncing out of the CL the amazing way they did, everybody knew Real players would find it hard to pull together as a team and beat Atletico Madrid.
Of course, Real was theoretically the better team, but Atletico had their internal cohesion working to give them a significant moral boost.
And that is exactly what led them to victory in extra time.
With the score staying 1-1 for more than an hour, not counting breaks, mental strength began to play a big part.
Everybody on the Real side even seemed that they could not wait to get the last important match of the season over with, so they could focus on their internal dissensions some more.
As well, this defeat surely has put the final nail in Jose Mourinho 's RM managerial coffin. Next year, The Chosen One will be choosing elsewhere.
Highlights:
Of course, Real was theoretically the better team, but Atletico had their internal cohesion working to give them a significant moral boost.
And that is exactly what led them to victory in extra time.
With the score staying 1-1 for more than an hour, not counting breaks, mental strength began to play a big part.
Everybody on the Real side even seemed that they could not wait to get the last important match of the season over with, so they could focus on their internal dissensions some more.
As well, this defeat surely has put the final nail in Jose Mourinho 's RM managerial coffin. Next year, The Chosen One will be choosing elsewhere.
Highlights:
Wednesday, 24 April 2013
The Curse of the Idiot Player
What the fuck happened with that pathetic player Pepe today? How come Mourinho couldn't tell that pepe was going to play for Borussia Dortmund today?
And, even if Mourinho couldn't anticipate that pepe was going to throw the game (- 'cause, I mean, there's no point in denying that he was at fault in pretty much all of the german goals -), why didn't he sub off the traitor after the first goal he let Lewandowski score?
There must be huge problems behind the scenes, at Real Madrid, when the leadership and the fans cannot even count on Mourinho, who usually runs a pretty tight ship.
And pepe is one of his people, a Portuguese guy. Surely Mourinho knows him a little better than other players.
If I was a Real Madrid player, I would probably start a fight with Pepe in the locker room. I'm surprised there was no such outburst after that guy facilitated a Dortmund win that is very very likely to oust the Spanish giants.
It's kind of a pity, too, because Real Madrid - Bayern would have probably been the dream final. And Real would certainly play well in such a final, regardless of their internal problems. Whereas Borussia has about as many chances of beating Bayern as Malaga would have had of beating Real or Barcelona.
No Real - Barca final, again!!! (Curses! And too bad!...)
P.S. To conclude, I'm willing to bet pepe will not be playing official football for Real Madrid ever again. He shat where he eats. So, he's going to have to eat elsewhere.
And, even if Mourinho couldn't anticipate that pepe was going to throw the game (- 'cause, I mean, there's no point in denying that he was at fault in pretty much all of the german goals -), why didn't he sub off the traitor after the first goal he let Lewandowski score?
There must be huge problems behind the scenes, at Real Madrid, when the leadership and the fans cannot even count on Mourinho, who usually runs a pretty tight ship.
And pepe is one of his people, a Portuguese guy. Surely Mourinho knows him a little better than other players.
If I was a Real Madrid player, I would probably start a fight with Pepe in the locker room. I'm surprised there was no such outburst after that guy facilitated a Dortmund win that is very very likely to oust the Spanish giants.
It's kind of a pity, too, because Real Madrid - Bayern would have probably been the dream final. And Real would certainly play well in such a final, regardless of their internal problems. Whereas Borussia has about as many chances of beating Bayern as Malaga would have had of beating Real or Barcelona.
No Real - Barca final, again!!! (Curses! And too bad!...)
P.S. To conclude, I'm willing to bet pepe will not be playing official football for Real Madrid ever again. He shat where he eats. So, he's going to have to eat elsewhere.
Tuesday, 9 April 2013
Real Worries
Galatasaray made Real Madrid shake in their shoes for a few good minutes in the second half of their second-leg meeting, tonight.
Down three goals from the first leg, Galatasaray went down even further, to 0-4 on aggregate, when Ronaldo made it Galatasaray 0 - 1 Real, after only 7 minutes of play.
But, between the 57th and the 72nd minutes, the team from Istanbul had a magical quarter-hour of play, with three goals that could have shaken any team. Also, Sneijder also missed an amazing opportunity, at 1-1, on top of everything.
Having gotten three goals so quickly (but somewhat luckily, it should be mentioned, especially the Drogba goal), the Turkish side had practically 20 minutes or so to score two more, in order to advance.
They did put the ball in the net a fourth time, but it was offside.
Real, however, did not crumble. They had the best chances in the remaining minutes. Ronaldo had a chance to make it 3-2, a few minutes after Drogba's goal, but his shot went just over.
He would not be denied his eleventh goal of the campaign, however, in injury time.
Galatasaray could not get any closer. And they could not even hold Real at bay till the end, either.
That's what makes great teams great.
Even though Galatasaray deserves commendation for playing their chances till the very end, nobody can say Real was not the side most deserving of making it to the semifinals.
Highlights:
To give a perfect example, from this match, which illustrates why it's so disgusting to see how much power these (sometimes retarded) referees have in the footballing world, check out how Arbeloa was eliminated only for making a gesture that suggested the referee acted insane. As insulting as his gesture may have been to Lannoy, the last time I checked freedom of speech and movement were still basic human rights.
Down three goals from the first leg, Galatasaray went down even further, to 0-4 on aggregate, when Ronaldo made it Galatasaray 0 - 1 Real, after only 7 minutes of play.
But, between the 57th and the 72nd minutes, the team from Istanbul had a magical quarter-hour of play, with three goals that could have shaken any team. Also, Sneijder also missed an amazing opportunity, at 1-1, on top of everything.
Having gotten three goals so quickly (but somewhat luckily, it should be mentioned, especially the Drogba goal), the Turkish side had practically 20 minutes or so to score two more, in order to advance.
They did put the ball in the net a fourth time, but it was offside.
Real, however, did not crumble. They had the best chances in the remaining minutes. Ronaldo had a chance to make it 3-2, a few minutes after Drogba's goal, but his shot went just over.
He would not be denied his eleventh goal of the campaign, however, in injury time.
Galatasaray could not get any closer. And they could not even hold Real at bay till the end, either.
That's what makes great teams great.
Even though Galatasaray deserves commendation for playing their chances till the very end, nobody can say Real was not the side most deserving of making it to the semifinals.
Highlights:
To give a perfect example, from this match, which illustrates why it's so disgusting to see how much power these (sometimes retarded) referees have in the footballing world, check out how Arbeloa was eliminated only for making a gesture that suggested the referee acted insane. As insulting as his gesture may have been to Lannoy, the last time I checked freedom of speech and movement were still basic human rights.
Wednesday, 3 April 2013
Right on Track
Nobody realistically expected Galatasaray to go to the Santiago Bernabeu and pull off a win, but it did turn out pretty badly for them, probably even worse than standard expectations.
Fatih Terim's team had some chances, yes, but everything worked out for Real on this day.
The chances that Real failed to convert were actually fewer than the chances Galatasaray failed to convert.
It should also be mentioned that most of those Galatasaray chances came in the first half. After the break, Mourinho decided to have his team take a more cautious approach.
Well-converted goals by Cristiano Ronaldo (in minute 9) and Karim Benzema (29), after errors in Turkish defensive marking, meant half-time saw the Spanish hosts ahead by two.
Even though the Madrid team pressed forward with less urgency in the second half, they did stretch their advantage, thanks to Higuain's precise header, 17 minutes before the end.
Despite having a well-balanced team, with players like Drogba, Sneijder, Hamit Altintop, Eboue, Uruguayan-national-team-goalkeeper Muslera and former top goalscorer in the Champions League Burak Yilmaz (- Ronaldo now has 9 goals in the competition, one more than the Turk -), Galatasaray proved somewhat mediocre.
And surely now they must be as good as eliminated from this year's Champions League.
Fatih Terim's team had some chances, yes, but everything worked out for Real on this day.
The chances that Real failed to convert were actually fewer than the chances Galatasaray failed to convert.
It should also be mentioned that most of those Galatasaray chances came in the first half. After the break, Mourinho decided to have his team take a more cautious approach.
Well-converted goals by Cristiano Ronaldo (in minute 9) and Karim Benzema (29), after errors in Turkish defensive marking, meant half-time saw the Spanish hosts ahead by two.
Even though the Madrid team pressed forward with less urgency in the second half, they did stretch their advantage, thanks to Higuain's precise header, 17 minutes before the end.
Despite having a well-balanced team, with players like Drogba, Sneijder, Hamit Altintop, Eboue, Uruguayan-national-team-goalkeeper Muslera and former top goalscorer in the Champions League Burak Yilmaz (- Ronaldo now has 9 goals in the competition, one more than the Turk -), Galatasaray proved somewhat mediocre.
And surely now they must be as good as eliminated from this year's Champions League.
Tuesday, 5 March 2013
Cut the Bitching, Sore Losers!
Living in an English-speaking country, I heard a lot of sports programs after the Man. U. - Real Madrid match condemning the referee for giving a red card to Nani. -- "It should have been a yellow...", "His eyes were on the ball the whole time...", "It was reckless, not malicious...", "What was the referee thinking?!...", and so on.
That's all bullshit! Enough with the sympathy for this huge conglomerate called "United", from Manchester! The only thing this club is innocent of is paying the referee who made that call.
Alright, so the decision could have gone either way. God forbid, for once, the referee takes the road that doesn't give a break to this giant of football, Manchester United!...
Also, it's not a decision that was match-altering. Not at all. You see players sent off in other matches, for lesser offenses, and their teams don't make such a big fuss. They just play, 10 versus 11. (It wasn't 8 versus 11. It wasn't a clear penalty, not given. And may I remind you that Real lost a crucial piece of their puzzle, di Maria, in the first half? Mourinho did some shuffling around, and he fixed it. I'm sure he could have fixed having his team play 10 versus 11, too.)
So, these people who are condemning the Turkish referee should save their bitching for real crucial decisions. Like Lampard's unseen goal in that match against Germany, at World Cup 2010. That was a match-altering bad call. Nani's red card is small potatoes. United was still one goal up, at that point. And the incident did not lead to conceding a dangerous free kick, or anything of the sort, either. And I've seen so many teams playing 10 against 11, from worse positions, and winning. So, saying that the elimination of Nani - who's not always in the starting eleven (!!!) - was the main factor in Man. U.'s elimination is nothing more than trying to find an easy scapegoat.
What, the English team could not have played with 10 players, and without Nani, and won?
As a matter of fact, looking at the last twenty minutes independently, they seemed to do quite well, especially in attack. Where Nani would have had most of his contribution. They just didn't score (but it's not like Nani is a born goalscorer or had scored a lot of goals recently).
And what did Ferguson do, to help his team? Instead of doing any good switches and changes, he started bellowing at the referees, like he always does when things don't go his way.
(Maybe in the English league United players don't get sent off for those high challenges, but in international competitions you don't always get the favouritism you think you're entitled to, Ferg!)
So, yeah, basically I'm saying ferguson is not a very good coach. Apparently he built a team that seemed to crumble like a house of cards, in three minutes, for a reason so banal as having to play 10 versus 11.
But it wasn't the red card that changed the match. I don't think so. For me, the match-changing moment was Mourinho's genius move in substituting Luka Modric for Arbeloa. Not Nani's elimination. It was Modric's insertion. And his brilliant shot, in the 66th minute, that came out of nowhere.
If Modric had not scored then, who knows what the final score would have been. So, there!
Also, if you want to talk about unfair, how about Ramos' stupid own goal, three minutes after the interval?
Don't you think the mentality of the Real players could have been shattered at that point? But they came back.
Really, that's where I think a great coach makes the difference. Real had one, United didn't.
The Champions League is better with Real in it, now, than it had been had the English progressed.
I mean, really, this is a so-called contender that was beaten/humiliated by the likes of Galatasaray, Basel and CFR Cluj, in the Champions League over the past two years. (And they keep getting results in the English league way too easily.)
Maybe they didn't deserve to lose the match, but they deserved to go out.
Highlights:
That's all bullshit! Enough with the sympathy for this huge conglomerate called "United", from Manchester! The only thing this club is innocent of is paying the referee who made that call.
Alright, so the decision could have gone either way. God forbid, for once, the referee takes the road that doesn't give a break to this giant of football, Manchester United!...
Also, it's not a decision that was match-altering. Not at all. You see players sent off in other matches, for lesser offenses, and their teams don't make such a big fuss. They just play, 10 versus 11. (It wasn't 8 versus 11. It wasn't a clear penalty, not given. And may I remind you that Real lost a crucial piece of their puzzle, di Maria, in the first half? Mourinho did some shuffling around, and he fixed it. I'm sure he could have fixed having his team play 10 versus 11, too.)
So, these people who are condemning the Turkish referee should save their bitching for real crucial decisions. Like Lampard's unseen goal in that match against Germany, at World Cup 2010. That was a match-altering bad call. Nani's red card is small potatoes. United was still one goal up, at that point. And the incident did not lead to conceding a dangerous free kick, or anything of the sort, either. And I've seen so many teams playing 10 against 11, from worse positions, and winning. So, saying that the elimination of Nani - who's not always in the starting eleven (!!!) - was the main factor in Man. U.'s elimination is nothing more than trying to find an easy scapegoat.
What, the English team could not have played with 10 players, and without Nani, and won?
As a matter of fact, looking at the last twenty minutes independently, they seemed to do quite well, especially in attack. Where Nani would have had most of his contribution. They just didn't score (but it's not like Nani is a born goalscorer or had scored a lot of goals recently).
And what did Ferguson do, to help his team? Instead of doing any good switches and changes, he started bellowing at the referees, like he always does when things don't go his way.
(Maybe in the English league United players don't get sent off for those high challenges, but in international competitions you don't always get the favouritism you think you're entitled to, Ferg!)
So, yeah, basically I'm saying ferguson is not a very good coach. Apparently he built a team that seemed to crumble like a house of cards, in three minutes, for a reason so banal as having to play 10 versus 11.
But it wasn't the red card that changed the match. I don't think so. For me, the match-changing moment was Mourinho's genius move in substituting Luka Modric for Arbeloa. Not Nani's elimination. It was Modric's insertion. And his brilliant shot, in the 66th minute, that came out of nowhere.
If Modric had not scored then, who knows what the final score would have been. So, there!
Also, if you want to talk about unfair, how about Ramos' stupid own goal, three minutes after the interval?
Don't you think the mentality of the Real players could have been shattered at that point? But they came back.
Really, that's where I think a great coach makes the difference. Real had one, United didn't.
The Champions League is better with Real in it, now, than it had been had the English progressed.
I mean, really, this is a so-called contender that was beaten/humiliated by the likes of Galatasaray, Basel and CFR Cluj, in the Champions League over the past two years. (And they keep getting results in the English league way too easily.)
Maybe they didn't deserve to lose the match, but they deserved to go out.
Highlights:
Saturday, 1 December 2012
Spanish League As Good As Over
Okay, Atletico Madrid lost again.
And Barcelona won.
So, with a six-point gap between Barcelona and the nearest pursuer, what hope is there that Atletico (or Real) will catch up?
I would say, close to zero.
That is, especially, because Barcelona only dropped two points in 14 matches (- more than a third of the total of matches -), which happened only because they were playing Mourinho's Real, and they are looking unstoppable.
(No Celtic in the Spanish La Liga, is there?)
So, there aren't a lot of interesting things happening in the Spanish league nowadays. I'll just drop it for now.
And Barcelona won.
So, with a six-point gap between Barcelona and the nearest pursuer, what hope is there that Atletico (or Real) will catch up?
I would say, close to zero.
That is, especially, because Barcelona only dropped two points in 14 matches (- more than a third of the total of matches -), which happened only because they were playing Mourinho's Real, and they are looking unstoppable.
(No Celtic in the Spanish La Liga, is there?)
So, there aren't a lot of interesting things happening in the Spanish league nowadays. I'll just drop it for now.
Thursday, 22 November 2012
Stupid, Retarded UEFA Rules!
I must say, it seems to me that UEFA decision makers are getting dumber and dumber. And no, I'm not talking about the decision to have the next Euros comprise of 24 teams.
I'm talking about having the main tie-breaking criterion between teams tied on points in the Champions League be the direct results between the teams in question.
How moronic is that?
How idiotic is it, huh, Mr. Platini?
Let's look at it, group by group.
Group A is, surprisingly, unaffected by this rule.
In Group B, Schalke can even lose, no matter by what scoreline, as long as Arsenal does not win in the other match, and still win the group. So, a team that might get crushed - it will not happen, by I'm just saying - 7-0 by someone as weak as Montpellier could still win that group. Stupid!
In Group C, Malaga has already won the group, courtesy of their better head-to-head record against AC Milan. So, then, both Malaga and Milan have nothing to play for in the last matchday. Very stupid!
Luckily, as far as the struggle between Zenit St. Petersburg and Anderlecht goes, their direct encounters ended 1-0 and 0-1, so that will be decided by goal difference. They will have to show up and play, if they wish to finish third and continue in the Europa League. Thank God (for almost nothing)!
Group D also has a decided winner, Borussia Dortmund, because of their better record against Real Madrid. Not that Borussia was not the best team of the group so far, but if they lose at home to Manchester City, on the last matchday, nobody would then say that they were, pound-for-pound, the best overall team if Real beats Ajax and gets the same number of points. (You gotta play well all your matches to be most appreciated!...)
Man. City, likewise, cannot not win their last match, if they want Europa League play, even if Ajax loses 200-0 in Madrid.
Extremely dumb!
But Group E is the worst.
You know, someone watching Juventus - Chelsea (3-0), and not having been aware of these fucked-up UEFA rules, might have thought that Juventus kept pressing, even at 2-0 and with 10 minutes left, because they knew every goal would count on the last matchday and Chelsea would have played Nordsjaelland (a team that is very likely to lose 6-7--nil). Actually, though, NO!
Thanks to any kind of win over Chelsea, and with a point in Donetsk in two weeks ' time, Juventus can then be assured of progressing over Chelsea, last year 's winner.
Even a 1-0 victory for Juventus would have been enough to secure that advantage.
3-0 was a result that brought Juventus no more benefits than a 1-0 would have.
And another unfortunate result of this obvious lack of intelligence from UEFA officials is the fact that Shakhtar Donetsk is already in the round of 16. Yes, they have secured their place, because of their direct results over Chelsea (2-1 and 2-3, away-goals rule) and now Chelsea can only at best tie Shakhtar on points.
So, Shakhtar has only first place to play for, on the last matchday, and clearly a draw in their direct match would satisfy both Shakhtar (who would win the group) and Juventus (who would go through, leaving Chelsea out).
How much do Chelsea fans hate UEFA for these senseless rules?
So, so retarded!!!
In Group F, Bayern leads over Valencia, even though Valencia has a better goal difference. (The two teams are tied on points, yes.) And all Bayern needs to do is match the number of points that Valencia gets on the last day, to win that group.
Also, Lille cannot go to the Europa League, even though they are clearly better than BATE at the present time, even if they win their last match by an astronomical score, and BATE loses theirs by an astronomical score, too, to boot. Why? Well, because stupid UEFA said 1-3 and 2-0 means the team that scored the three goals in that one match will beat the other team, no matter what else happens, if they're tied on points at the end.
Also, retarded!
In Group G, Benfica needs to match Celtic's result, but luckily for the surprising Scottish outfit (who beat Barcelona) Celtic plays Spartak at home while Benfica has to take on Barca away.
Group H contains another team that might be seriously screwed by this deficiency in thinking clearly exhibited by UEFA officials: CFR Cluj.
The Romanians have to go to Old Trafford, needing to beat Manchester United. And, even then, they have to hope that Galatasaray does not defeat Braga in Portugal. (And Braga cannot even finish third anymore. They will be bottom, and might only be playing for pride, if even that.)
Potential scorelines Man. U. - Cluj 0-5 and Braga - Galatasaray 2-3 would allow the Turkish team to qualify. If that happens, wouldn't that be fucked-up, retarded, and unfair to Cluj?
Realistically, all the Transylvanian team can hope for is for them to get a point in Manchester, and for Galatasaray to lose to Braga.
They could score, and score, and score, in England, and still get kicked out. Thanks to some serious incompetence from UEFA!
I'm talking about having the main tie-breaking criterion between teams tied on points in the Champions League be the direct results between the teams in question.
How moronic is that?
How idiotic is it, huh, Mr. Platini?
Let's look at it, group by group.
Group A is, surprisingly, unaffected by this rule.
In Group B, Schalke can even lose, no matter by what scoreline, as long as Arsenal does not win in the other match, and still win the group. So, a team that might get crushed - it will not happen, by I'm just saying - 7-0 by someone as weak as Montpellier could still win that group. Stupid!
In Group C, Malaga has already won the group, courtesy of their better head-to-head record against AC Milan. So, then, both Malaga and Milan have nothing to play for in the last matchday. Very stupid!
Luckily, as far as the struggle between Zenit St. Petersburg and Anderlecht goes, their direct encounters ended 1-0 and 0-1, so that will be decided by goal difference. They will have to show up and play, if they wish to finish third and continue in the Europa League. Thank God (for almost nothing)!
Group D also has a decided winner, Borussia Dortmund, because of their better record against Real Madrid. Not that Borussia was not the best team of the group so far, but if they lose at home to Manchester City, on the last matchday, nobody would then say that they were, pound-for-pound, the best overall team if Real beats Ajax and gets the same number of points. (You gotta play well all your matches to be most appreciated!...)
Man. City, likewise, cannot not win their last match, if they want Europa League play, even if Ajax loses 200-0 in Madrid.
Extremely dumb!
But Group E is the worst.
You know, someone watching Juventus - Chelsea (3-0), and not having been aware of these fucked-up UEFA rules, might have thought that Juventus kept pressing, even at 2-0 and with 10 minutes left, because they knew every goal would count on the last matchday and Chelsea would have played Nordsjaelland (a team that is very likely to lose 6-7--nil). Actually, though, NO!
Thanks to any kind of win over Chelsea, and with a point in Donetsk in two weeks ' time, Juventus can then be assured of progressing over Chelsea, last year 's winner.
Even a 1-0 victory for Juventus would have been enough to secure that advantage.
3-0 was a result that brought Juventus no more benefits than a 1-0 would have.
And another unfortunate result of this obvious lack of intelligence from UEFA officials is the fact that Shakhtar Donetsk is already in the round of 16. Yes, they have secured their place, because of their direct results over Chelsea (2-1 and 2-3, away-goals rule) and now Chelsea can only at best tie Shakhtar on points.
So, Shakhtar has only first place to play for, on the last matchday, and clearly a draw in their direct match would satisfy both Shakhtar (who would win the group) and Juventus (who would go through, leaving Chelsea out).
How much do Chelsea fans hate UEFA for these senseless rules?
So, so retarded!!!
In Group F, Bayern leads over Valencia, even though Valencia has a better goal difference. (The two teams are tied on points, yes.) And all Bayern needs to do is match the number of points that Valencia gets on the last day, to win that group.
Also, Lille cannot go to the Europa League, even though they are clearly better than BATE at the present time, even if they win their last match by an astronomical score, and BATE loses theirs by an astronomical score, too, to boot. Why? Well, because stupid UEFA said 1-3 and 2-0 means the team that scored the three goals in that one match will beat the other team, no matter what else happens, if they're tied on points at the end.
Also, retarded!
In Group G, Benfica needs to match Celtic's result, but luckily for the surprising Scottish outfit (who beat Barcelona) Celtic plays Spartak at home while Benfica has to take on Barca away.
Group H contains another team that might be seriously screwed by this deficiency in thinking clearly exhibited by UEFA officials: CFR Cluj.
The Romanians have to go to Old Trafford, needing to beat Manchester United. And, even then, they have to hope that Galatasaray does not defeat Braga in Portugal. (And Braga cannot even finish third anymore. They will be bottom, and might only be playing for pride, if even that.)
Potential scorelines Man. U. - Cluj 0-5 and Braga - Galatasaray 2-3 would allow the Turkish team to qualify. If that happens, wouldn't that be fucked-up, retarded, and unfair to Cluj?
Realistically, all the Transylvanian team can hope for is for them to get a point in Manchester, and for Galatasaray to lose to Braga.
They could score, and score, and score, in England, and still get kicked out. Thanks to some serious incompetence from UEFA!
Thursday, 30 August 2012
A Great Match at the Bernabeu
Real Madrid and FC Barcelona put on a magnificent show again, in the second leg of the Spanish Supercup.
Trailing 2-3 after the first leg (but also having been very lucky not to lose 1-3 or 1-4 at the Nou Camp), Real Madrid started like a great champion. After 19 minutes, Higuain (in minute 11) and Ronaldo had already scored two brilliant goals for the Spanish champions. And it looked like Real was going to win easily, especially since they even managed to score a third, before the half hour, which was waved off by the referee, however.
It took the genius of Messi to put Barcelona back into the match. Just when the game seemed to be heading towards half-time, with Barca visibly inferior in most aspects, Messi scored with a spectacular free-kick shot from over 30 meters. Casillas could not get close to it, and the teams retired for half-time facing a score of 2-1 for Real.
In the second half, Barcelona could have equalized, but Real could have gone further ahead, too. The number of big opportunities was something like 4-3 for Real just in that half. It should be mentioned that Higuain hit the post, left alone with Valdes, with less than 10 minutes remaining.
So, Real Madrid wins the Spanish Supercup, on away goals.
And that's the first trophy of the season for Mourinho's men.
Real now has 88 wins in direct encounters between the two teams, while Barca only 87.
Trailing 2-3 after the first leg (but also having been very lucky not to lose 1-3 or 1-4 at the Nou Camp), Real Madrid started like a great champion. After 19 minutes, Higuain (in minute 11) and Ronaldo had already scored two brilliant goals for the Spanish champions. And it looked like Real was going to win easily, especially since they even managed to score a third, before the half hour, which was waved off by the referee, however.
It took the genius of Messi to put Barcelona back into the match. Just when the game seemed to be heading towards half-time, with Barca visibly inferior in most aspects, Messi scored with a spectacular free-kick shot from over 30 meters. Casillas could not get close to it, and the teams retired for half-time facing a score of 2-1 for Real.
In the second half, Barcelona could have equalized, but Real could have gone further ahead, too. The number of big opportunities was something like 4-3 for Real just in that half. It should be mentioned that Higuain hit the post, left alone with Valdes, with less than 10 minutes remaining.
So, Real Madrid wins the Spanish Supercup, on away goals.
And that's the first trophy of the season for Mourinho's men.
Real now has 88 wins in direct encounters between the two teams, while Barca only 87.
Monday, 4 June 2012
Spain - UEFA Club Competitions Participants - 2012-2013
Real Madrid --> Champions League Group Stage
FC Barcelona --> Champions League Group Stage
Valencia CF --> Champions League Group Stage
Malaga CF --> Champions League Play-off Round
Atletico Madrid --> Europa League Group Stage
Levante UD Valencia --> Europa League Play-off Round
Athletic Bilbao --> Europa League Third Qualifying Round
FC Barcelona --> Champions League Group Stage
Valencia CF --> Champions League Group Stage
Malaga CF --> Champions League Play-off Round
Atletico Madrid --> Europa League Group Stage
Levante UD Valencia --> Europa League Play-off Round
Athletic Bilbao --> Europa League Third Qualifying Round
Sunday, 13 May 2012
Real's Season, into the History Books
100!
100 points from 38 matches. (Only 14 points dropped.) This, in quite possibly the best internal football league in the world.
Not even Barcelona could brag about this one.
The Chosen One did it again!
Mourinho alluded to the importance of the match against Mallorca, at a press conference before the last matchday of the Spanish Primera Division, when he said something along the lines "What if the team has a disastrous performance tomorrow, and the owner fires me?"
That just goes to show how important it was for the Madridistas to beat Barcelona's record of 99 points, after losing the chance to win the Champions League.
Real had no problems against Mallorca, winning 4-1. Ronaldo scored the first one, soon after a disallowed Higuain goal. Higuain was to score the second, thus also settling the half-time score. Ozil netted two more goals in the second half, with Mallorca reducing the deficit temporarily to 1-3.
After so many successes in previous seasons, this one turned out to be a really bad season for Barcelona. (They couldn't even win at Betis Sevilla, on the last matchday, either.) But maybe they can salvage something in the Copa del Rey final against Bilbao, the next Thursday.
Highlights from Real Madrid - Mallorca 4-1:
Real Madrid v Real Mallorca by speelsrap
Final standings (top two only):
1 Real Madrid 38 32 4 2 121-32 +89 100p
2 Barcelona 38 28 7 3 114-29 +85 91p
100 points from 38 matches. (Only 14 points dropped.) This, in quite possibly the best internal football league in the world.
Not even Barcelona could brag about this one.
The Chosen One did it again!
Mourinho alluded to the importance of the match against Mallorca, at a press conference before the last matchday of the Spanish Primera Division, when he said something along the lines "What if the team has a disastrous performance tomorrow, and the owner fires me?"
That just goes to show how important it was for the Madridistas to beat Barcelona's record of 99 points, after losing the chance to win the Champions League.
Real had no problems against Mallorca, winning 4-1. Ronaldo scored the first one, soon after a disallowed Higuain goal. Higuain was to score the second, thus also settling the half-time score. Ozil netted two more goals in the second half, with Mallorca reducing the deficit temporarily to 1-3.
After so many successes in previous seasons, this one turned out to be a really bad season for Barcelona. (They couldn't even win at Betis Sevilla, on the last matchday, either.) But maybe they can salvage something in the Copa del Rey final against Bilbao, the next Thursday.
Highlights from Real Madrid - Mallorca 4-1:
Real Madrid v Real Mallorca by speelsrap
Final standings (top two only):
1 Real Madrid 38 32 4 2 121-32 +89 100p
2 Barcelona 38 28 7 3 114-29 +85 91p
Saturday, 5 May 2012
Real, Towards 100?
Real won again. They beat Granada, away, 2-1.
It was very hard for Real, though. They were down 0-1, from minute 5 to minute 81.
After Ronaldo was tackled in the penalty area, in the 79th minute, he also converted the penalty. (But, even though he has 45 goals for the season, he probably won't win the Pachichi, because Messi scored four more times in the game against Espanyol, won 4-0 by Barca, to make it 50 for the Argentinian, on the season.)
But the great ending, as far as the guests are concerned, and the main reason for this blog post, came when defender Cortes put the ball in his own net, in minute 93, following a desperate cross by the Madrid players. I guess he never expected the ball to reach his feet, or something, judging by how unprepared his footwork was when he touched the ball.
The hosts desperately needed a good result to try to ensure staying up in the Primera Division, yes.
Now, Real put them in danger of going down, if they lose to Rayo Vallecano, and Zaragoza wins, too, next week.
But, most importantly, Real also put themselves in the position of winning the title with a record number of points (100!) if they just beat Mallorca, at home, on the last matchday of the season.
See highlights here.
It was very hard for Real, though. They were down 0-1, from minute 5 to minute 81.
After Ronaldo was tackled in the penalty area, in the 79th minute, he also converted the penalty. (But, even though he has 45 goals for the season, he probably won't win the Pachichi, because Messi scored four more times in the game against Espanyol, won 4-0 by Barca, to make it 50 for the Argentinian, on the season.)
But the great ending, as far as the guests are concerned, and the main reason for this blog post, came when defender Cortes put the ball in his own net, in minute 93, following a desperate cross by the Madrid players. I guess he never expected the ball to reach his feet, or something, judging by how unprepared his footwork was when he touched the ball.
The hosts desperately needed a good result to try to ensure staying up in the Primera Division, yes.
Now, Real put them in danger of going down, if they lose to Rayo Vallecano, and Zaragoza wins, too, next week.
But, most importantly, Real also put themselves in the position of winning the title with a record number of points (100!) if they just beat Mallorca, at home, on the last matchday of the season.
See highlights here.
Wednesday, 2 May 2012
Real Clinches the League Title
Real Madrid fans were not treated to a Barcelona error. The Catalan team defeated Malaga, as expected, 4-1.
But no worries! All that meant was that Real needed to beat Athletic Bilbao, at the San Mames, if they wanted to become champions as quickly as possible.
And, sure enough, they did win. 3-0.
Even though Ronaldo missed a penalty - how the hell can he and Messi call themselves the best players in the world if they miss penalties so stupidly, I don't know - Real still got an easy win, courtesy of a Higuain stunner, a smart goal from Ozil and a header from Ronaldo himself in the second half. (This all took place before minute 50.)
So, Real Madrid is champion of Spain!
(Now, let's see if they can beat Barcelona's record of 99 points in one season.)
Highlights:
Athletic Bilbao 0-3 Real Madrid by acosart
But no worries! All that meant was that Real needed to beat Athletic Bilbao, at the San Mames, if they wanted to become champions as quickly as possible.
And, sure enough, they did win. 3-0.
Even though Ronaldo missed a penalty - how the hell can he and Messi call themselves the best players in the world if they miss penalties so stupidly, I don't know - Real still got an easy win, courtesy of a Higuain stunner, a smart goal from Ozil and a header from Ronaldo himself in the second half. (This all took place before minute 50.)
So, Real Madrid is champion of Spain!
(Now, let's see if they can beat Barcelona's record of 99 points in one season.)
Highlights:
Athletic Bilbao 0-3 Real Madrid by acosart
Wednesday, 25 April 2012
Damn Penalties!
I guess the people who are looking at football events solely from the perspective of money can be happy to see the owners of the stadium where the Champions League final is going to take place participating in said final.
Bayern was very lucky to achieve this feat.
But I think I can safely say that Real Madrid was never second-best to Bayern. Not in Munich, where they lost, 1-2, and not at the Bernabeu, where they could not win the penalty shootout. (The Germans always do well at penalties!...)
After only 14 minutes, Real was up 2-0. They were even more convincing than Barcelona, yesterday, when they went up 2-0 against Chelsea.
So, then, what happened with the Spanish giants, again?
Most probably, cockiness. They thought they would have a very easy match, after going up two goals, but the opponents were just having a temporary bad spell.
The penalty that Robben converted was a very soft one, true, but then the Real penalty kick seemed a little harsh on Bayern, too.
Getting back to Real's failure to reach the final, one could blame this on Mourinho. But, unlike Guardiola, Mourinho at least managed to keep the team in the tie until the end.
When the penalty kicks started, Mourinho was not the man to blame anymore.
So, then, are the guilty ones Ronaldo, Kaka and Ramos? Very likely, yes, they are.
Seeing how much money they make, they have to have better nerves in such moments. But they, especially Ramos, were truly pathetic!
I wonder, did they insist on taking the spot kicks, or were they designated penalty takers?
And, wow, three misses out of four? (That's one bad penalty-kick team performance.)
But what about looking at this from the German perspective, you may say? Well, if I do that, there's not that much to say. I can say that, considering that they cannot seem to be able to beat Borussia Dortmund, Bayern is not a team that deserves to win the Champions League.
Oh, and Robben really should practice his finishers more. This is the umpteenth time he's missed a real sitter!
Bayern was very lucky to achieve this feat.
But I think I can safely say that Real Madrid was never second-best to Bayern. Not in Munich, where they lost, 1-2, and not at the Bernabeu, where they could not win the penalty shootout. (The Germans always do well at penalties!...)
After only 14 minutes, Real was up 2-0. They were even more convincing than Barcelona, yesterday, when they went up 2-0 against Chelsea.
So, then, what happened with the Spanish giants, again?
Most probably, cockiness. They thought they would have a very easy match, after going up two goals, but the opponents were just having a temporary bad spell.
The penalty that Robben converted was a very soft one, true, but then the Real penalty kick seemed a little harsh on Bayern, too.
Getting back to Real's failure to reach the final, one could blame this on Mourinho. But, unlike Guardiola, Mourinho at least managed to keep the team in the tie until the end.
When the penalty kicks started, Mourinho was not the man to blame anymore.
So, then, are the guilty ones Ronaldo, Kaka and Ramos? Very likely, yes, they are.
Seeing how much money they make, they have to have better nerves in such moments. But they, especially Ramos, were truly pathetic!
I wonder, did they insist on taking the spot kicks, or were they designated penalty takers?
And, wow, three misses out of four? (That's one bad penalty-kick team performance.)
But what about looking at this from the German perspective, you may say? Well, if I do that, there's not that much to say. I can say that, considering that they cannot seem to be able to beat Borussia Dortmund, Bayern is not a team that deserves to win the Champions League.
Oh, and Robben really should practice his finishers more. This is the umpteenth time he's missed a real sitter!
Saturday, 21 April 2012
Real Finally Does It!
After so many unsuccessful matches of late against their perennial rivals, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid finally got a win in such an encounter.
And it might just be one that is totally design to humble and humiliate Guardiola's men.
Here was a game that, given Barcelona's recent form against Real, was expected to end with a home win and to put Barca within one point of the Madrid giants, in the league.
That would have made the title chase a very, very close and exciting battle.
But Real's win, 2-1 at Nou Camp, means that Real is 7 points ahead of Barcelona now, in the standings, and they only need six more points to win the title. That's two wins in their last four games.
Not hard, but Real should probably be pushing to achieve the record number of points in a season (by winning all four games) and take something else away from Barcelona.
But, getting back to the game, the first two goals - Khedira's, in the 17th minute, and Sanchez's, in the 70th - were very scrappy affairs. Mistakes at the back, first by Puyol, and then by the entire Madrid defense (which was actually more unlucky than unprepared), led to lucky bounces and lucky goals.
However, Ronaldo's goal was much better. Coming only 3 minutes after Alexis Sanchez's equalizer, the goal consisted of a great pass by Ozil and a finishing move of the same quality by the Portuguese forward, despite great efforts from Valdes to make himself big in front of Ronaldo.
When watching that goal, at first I thought Ronaldo was playing the ball a bit rashly there, so I was somewhat surprised to see it go in. But, in hindsight, probably the quickness was too much for Valdes, too, because who knows if he wouldn't have been able to parry the ball if Ronaldo had waited a little more time to apply the finish.
Also, I have to say, Mourinho, as a coach, again shows great class in crucial moments. He was able to finally show the world that his team can outplay Barcelona in a direct fixture.
It's not over, though. (Not the title chase, yet, and not Mourinho's season, either.)
Highlights:
ملخص مباراة البرسا و الريال 22 دقيقة by zamalektv
And it might just be one that is totally design to humble and humiliate Guardiola's men.
Here was a game that, given Barcelona's recent form against Real, was expected to end with a home win and to put Barca within one point of the Madrid giants, in the league.
That would have made the title chase a very, very close and exciting battle.
But Real's win, 2-1 at Nou Camp, means that Real is 7 points ahead of Barcelona now, in the standings, and they only need six more points to win the title. That's two wins in their last four games.
Not hard, but Real should probably be pushing to achieve the record number of points in a season (by winning all four games) and take something else away from Barcelona.
But, getting back to the game, the first two goals - Khedira's, in the 17th minute, and Sanchez's, in the 70th - were very scrappy affairs. Mistakes at the back, first by Puyol, and then by the entire Madrid defense (which was actually more unlucky than unprepared), led to lucky bounces and lucky goals.
However, Ronaldo's goal was much better. Coming only 3 minutes after Alexis Sanchez's equalizer, the goal consisted of a great pass by Ozil and a finishing move of the same quality by the Portuguese forward, despite great efforts from Valdes to make himself big in front of Ronaldo.
When watching that goal, at first I thought Ronaldo was playing the ball a bit rashly there, so I was somewhat surprised to see it go in. But, in hindsight, probably the quickness was too much for Valdes, too, because who knows if he wouldn't have been able to parry the ball if Ronaldo had waited a little more time to apply the finish.
Also, I have to say, Mourinho, as a coach, again shows great class in crucial moments. He was able to finally show the world that his team can outplay Barcelona in a direct fixture.
It's not over, though. (Not the title chase, yet, and not Mourinho's season, either.)
Highlights:
ملخص مباراة البرسا و الريال 22 دقيقة by zamalektv
Tuesday, 17 April 2012
Real Has Problems Really Late
Real Madrid never beat Bayern in Munich.
They did quite well today, though. Well, until the 89th minute, that is.
Even though Bayern opened the scoring very early (Ribery 17'), and kept the advantage until half-time, Mourinho's men did not lose their cool. They showed just how dangerous they can be in the 52nd and 53rd minute, when Ozil put the ball in the back of the net after a prolonged attack and some very altruistic play from Ronaldo.
Gomez, who had missed a big chance about a quarter of an hour before finally scoring, netted the last goal of the match, but he could consider himself a little lucky to have scored that goal. He hit the ball with his knee.
1-2 still is not that bad of a result for Real. But 1-1 would have been way, way better. Going home with a 1-1 away result would have allowed them to focus more on the Barcelona match at the weekend.
Mourinho usually does good coaching, but this year a lot of things have gone against him.
I think many people, including me, wonder if his team can achieve what Barcelona has been achieving with ease lately.
But hey, if there's one team to dethrone Barca, at the moment it can only be Mourinho' Real.
It remains to be seen.
Highlights:
Байерн Мюнхен - Реал Мадрид 2:1 HD by FootballKing2192
They did quite well today, though. Well, until the 89th minute, that is.
Even though Bayern opened the scoring very early (Ribery 17'), and kept the advantage until half-time, Mourinho's men did not lose their cool. They showed just how dangerous they can be in the 52nd and 53rd minute, when Ozil put the ball in the back of the net after a prolonged attack and some very altruistic play from Ronaldo.
Gomez, who had missed a big chance about a quarter of an hour before finally scoring, netted the last goal of the match, but he could consider himself a little lucky to have scored that goal. He hit the ball with his knee.
1-2 still is not that bad of a result for Real. But 1-1 would have been way, way better. Going home with a 1-1 away result would have allowed them to focus more on the Barcelona match at the weekend.
Mourinho usually does good coaching, but this year a lot of things have gone against him.
I think many people, including me, wonder if his team can achieve what Barcelona has been achieving with ease lately.
But hey, if there's one team to dethrone Barca, at the moment it can only be Mourinho' Real.
It remains to be seen.
Highlights:
Байерн Мюнхен - Реал Мадрид 2:1 HD by FootballKing2192
Sunday, 8 April 2012
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).
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).
Tuesday, 27 March 2012
Two for Benzema, and Then Some
In the words of an official commentator, it looks like "midnight has struck for the Cinderella team". APOEL is almost surely out of the Champions League, after losing 0-3 at home against Real Madrid.
They should have defended, the Cypriots, not gone after the Spanish giants! That was a huge mistake, because it opened their defense.
And Real's endurance levels were much higher.
Benzema with a brace (74, 90) and Kaka (82), after some brilliant play by Marcelo at the end line, put the Madrid team way ahead.
Real left it late, but finished the job.
Highlights:
They should have defended, the Cypriots, not gone after the Spanish giants! That was a huge mistake, because it opened their defense.
And Real's endurance levels were much higher.
Benzema with a brace (74, 90) and Kaka (82), after some brilliant play by Marcelo at the end line, put the Madrid team way ahead.
Real left it late, but finished the job.
Highlights:
Wednesday, 21 March 2012
Four Points Gone in Three Days
Mourinho's Real Madrid fucked up again. (Villarreal - Real Madrid 1-1)
A free kick did them in again. (- Marcos Senna, in minute 83, after a Ronaldo opener, in minute 62)
And it came just 72 hours after the Malaga fiasco at the Santiago Bernabeu.
It seems like Real really needs to score at least two goals unanswered before the last ten minutes of the game, and they probably need to concede fewer free kicks, too, to win games.
And what the hell is Casillas doing to earn his wages these days? He really seems to suck in goal recently.
Sure, Real still has a decent advantage, but they better shape up if they don't want to suffer through another do-or-die derby against Barcelona.
On the plus side, at least Villarreal was able to hold Barcelona, too, 0-0 on the 28th of January , so they didn't just take points from Real...
(This is barely a consolation, I know.)
Highlights:
A free kick did them in again. (- Marcos Senna, in minute 83, after a Ronaldo opener, in minute 62)
And it came just 72 hours after the Malaga fiasco at the Santiago Bernabeu.
It seems like Real really needs to score at least two goals unanswered before the last ten minutes of the game, and they probably need to concede fewer free kicks, too, to win games.
And what the hell is Casillas doing to earn his wages these days? He really seems to suck in goal recently.
Sure, Real still has a decent advantage, but they better shape up if they don't want to suffer through another do-or-die derby against Barcelona.
On the plus side, at least Villarreal was able to hold Barcelona, too, 0-0 on the 28th of January , so they didn't just take points from Real...
(This is barely a consolation, I know.)
Highlights:
Sunday, 18 March 2012
What a Silly Waste of Two Points!
Real really should have had the game against Malaga in the bag since way before that free kick Santi Cazorla took in injury time.
Mourinho's team was up 1-0 since minute 35, and had numerous chances to make it 2-0, including a miss that only Benzema knows how he was able to squander.
And Real was to rue the missed opportunities, because Cazorla made Casillas look useless with that great finish in minute 92.
So, 1-1 it finished.
Real is still 8 points up on Barca, but that difference could go down to 5 points when they go to Nou Camp, and then you never know.
Besides, if Real wants the record for points total, they have to be practically perfect all the way to the end, now, assuming that they will not win in Barcelona's stadium.
Highlights:
Mourinho's team was up 1-0 since minute 35, and had numerous chances to make it 2-0, including a miss that only Benzema knows how he was able to squander.
And Real was to rue the missed opportunities, because Cazorla made Casillas look useless with that great finish in minute 92.
So, 1-1 it finished.
Real is still 8 points up on Barca, but that difference could go down to 5 points when they go to Nou Camp, and then you never know.
Besides, if Real wants the record for points total, they have to be practically perfect all the way to the end, now, assuming that they will not win in Barcelona's stadium.
Highlights:
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