Brightening up

It was not a classic performance by any means, but there were some positives to take away from Sunday's 2-0 win over Recreativo de Huelva. Real started the game at a much higher tempo than we have been used to and Raúl had a header for the opener within 13 seconds of the start. Robben seems to have reached full match fitness and his speed is causing problems for defenders on the wings. Marcelo is improving with every game and with Heinze having an excellent performance at centre back, Schuster may be able to give Cannavaro a rest now Metzelder has recovered from his injury. Raúl continues to show that he is on form, particularly when linking up with Van Nistelrooy, though clearly not enough for Luis Aragonés to recall him to the national side, and Casillas was largely responsible once again for the team having their fourth clean sheet in the league this season.

However, not all the pieces are clicking seamlessly together. There is still a large gulf between the defence and the midfield, and the team is vulnerable to fast counters, which teams more effective than Recreativo might have capitalised on. Guti and Sneijder are still not making the link to the forwards with enough consistency to allow Real to derive benefit from their possession and put games away quickly. Raúl and Van Nistelrooy were left chasing shadows for most of the first half. It is only when the opposing teams begin to tire that Real Madrid seems to strike, as all but three of Real's sixteen current league goals have been scored in the second half. But this only works if you can stop them from scoring against you.

Rud opened the scoring after 72 minutes in typical predatory fashion, after an inch-perfect through ball from Raúl. Though he missed a similar chance in the first half, Van the man now has 16 goals in the last 18 league games and it is no surprise the club is reportedly looking to extend his contract to 2010. Higuaín finally managed to score again, as the clock was running down and kept the chasing pack at bay, especially a Messi-led Barcelona, who have been impressing all and sundry in recent weeks after a bit of a shaky start to the season. International fixtures over the next 10 days mean that we have two weeks to wait until the next league encounter, away against the in-form Espanyol.

Continue reading this article »

All I want for Christmas...

...is to win at home, as Capello (and those fans paying exorbitant prices to watch Real at the Bernabéu) might say. With a 4-2-2 record at home, as compared with a 6-2-0 record away, and five points adrift of leaders Sevilla, Real Madrid goes into the Christmas mini-break pondering the cost of those six points dropped at home.

Match day had been marred by news of the tragic road accident which claimed the lives of three Recreativo supporters, as well as the driver of the bus carrying them to Madrid. Controversially, the RFEF (Spanish FA) decided that the game should be played, despite the requests from the Recreativo president for a postponement and the support of Real Madrid and the League in this matter. The atmosphere was subdued at first, and the planned tribute to Cannavaro for his recent FIFA World Player of the Year award was cancelled. Despite, or perhaps because of this, Recreativo won their first ever game at the Bernabéu in style with goals either side of the break and a final flourish just before the finish. Cannavaro was whistled off the pitch as the fans blamed him for the mistakes that cost Real the first two goals.

To be fair, although this was no Getafe, it was not far off, and there was very little to cheer from any of the Real Madrid players on the pitch. Perhaps, like millions of workers around the World, their mind was more on the upcoming Christmas break than on the game taking place around them. Capello will need to think long and hard over the next two weeks about how to re-motivate his squad, because a loss of confidence and desire will make winning the League very difficult indeed.

Continue reading this article »

Game to go ahead despite road traffic tragedy

Four people died and thirty-five were injured, twenty-two of them seriously, when a coach carrying Recreativo de Huelva supporters to Madrid for tonight's game at the Bernabéu collided with a lorry on the motorway linking Huelva and Sevilla in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Both clubs have expressed their condolences to the families of those affected. The Recreativo president, Francisco Mendoza, asked for the game's postponement and Real Madrid gave their support to his appeal saying they would abide by the decision of the Spanish FA. After deliberating for several hours, the FA decided the game should go ahead as planned. Recreativo's president and board members have returned to Huelva to show their support for those affected.

A minute's silence will be observed before kick-off, and the game's proceeds will be donated by Real Madrid to the victims' families.

Continue reading this article »