Madrid, Incandescent

Saturday night's match with Sevilla put a wrap on a week that saw Madrid play 3 times in just 7 days, a crucial stretch for a club struggling with form and injury issues. The results: passionate football, 6 points, some moments of pure genius, and at least a few more days in the top spot in the league table.


There was the 3-1 win against Deportivo La Coruna, followed by a tie with a Valencia squad very much in transition. Valencia manager Quique Sanchez Flores was sacked following Valencia's 3-0 loss against Sevilla, and their match against Madrid was the first in the post-Sanchez era.

Madrid went to the Mestalla in Valencia and put on a clinic in flowing, attacking, one-touch football. It seemed that everything that had “failed” during the beginning of the season came together all at once.

The midfield, too often the cause of a lack of cohesion on the pitch, was epic. The defense was sturdy, supported by the double pivot of Diarra-Gago. Gago flashed brilliance during the match, providing long-range passes and support to the true engine of the team, GUTI.HAZ.

The golden locks were prominent, linking up with Van Nistelrooy and Raul up top with some absolutely deadly passes. Guti provided through balls, little lobs, vision, creativity, and deadly accuracy. With the support in the middle of the park from Diarra-Gago, Guti actually had less work, but was as prolific as ever.

Guti set up a goal for Sergio Ramos that can best be described as a low-flying missile off the far post and into the back of the net. On that wonderstike, one can see that Ramos grew up a forward. That kind of powerful shot with a lethal finish is usually seen from the Samuel Etoo’s and Didier Drogba’s of the world.

Robinho continued to provide flair from the left wing, disrupting defenders and creating openings for the forwards.

As for the the match, the possession flowed through the Madrid midfield like a checkers piece performing triple and quadruple jumps. It was quite a sight, the kind of performance that brings the chills, goosebumps, dare I say it, a salty discharge from the eye. The kind you just dab lightly.

It was that good of a performance. I plan on showing my kids this game, along with the 2-14-06 wonder against Real Zaragoza, when I tell them why I love football.

Real Madrid 3, Deportivo La Coruna 1

Just days after being publically reprimanded by the club for being unexcusedly tardy in his return to the squad, Robinho put on a galactic display at the Santiago Bernabeu, and Real Madrid posted a 3-1 victory over Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday.

It was a stunning first few minutes as Depor opened the scoring on a goal by Xisco in just the second minute. But ever the reliable goal-scorer, Ruud notched the equalizer just four minutes later on a penalty. The next 70 minutes were a mix of yellow cards and close chances for both sides, and it wasn't until Schuster had made enough substitutions to put out the 11 that beat Olympiacos last Wednesday that Los Merengues began to click. By the 70th minute, Madrid were dominating, Robinho having already rocketed a shot off the crossbar.

There were three yellow-cards in a span of four minutes before Raul was able to poke the ball across the line after a pass from the Dutchman Van Nistelrooy. And just 5 minutes later, Robinho put the game out of reach at 3-1 with a dazzling display of artistry in overtaking the keeper.

Madrid now look to Valencia on the weekend at the Mestalla, where they have not lost in 3 straight matches. Valencia are also coming off the recent firing of their manager, Quique Sanchez, so their performance could be negatively effected by the statement of the front office.

CL Wrap: The Return of Capello's Boys

Real Madrid downed Olympiakos 4-2 on Wednesday night, seemingly with same spirit (and good fortunes) that marked the 2007 La Liga title.

Madrid got off to a great start, with Raul knocking in the 1-0 in the 2nd minute of play.



Things were looking good, as the team had momentum in front of their home crowd, and an early lead to build on.

That's when everything went wrong. Olympiakos equalized in the 7th minute, and then had Vassilas Torosidis sent off in the 13th. I assumed that meant that Madrid would go ahead and win handily, taking advantage of the extra man.

Instead, Madrid played the same sort of ugly, fruitless football that plagued them for stretches of last season and this season. They allowed Olympiakos to go up 2-1 on a Julio César free kick deflection, along the way exposing a shaky defense ravaged by injury.

Sergio Ramos, usually a key component to the offense with his explosive runs up the flank, was shifted into the center of defense. He wasn't able to support the attack as he would have liked, and it was little-used Michel Salgado who was bombing up the wing, without any success.

The team continued to play some awful football, unable to put up much of an offensive attack until Robinho headed home the equalizer in the 68th.



Robinho energized the squad, and they started to play some exciting, attacking football. The midfield came alive, and in the blink of an eye, Guti, Sneijder, and Gago were delivering gorgeous long-range passes to the wingers. Robinho, enjoying this support from the midfield engine, later scored the 3-2 in the 83rd.



The fun was just beginning, as Madrid had to withstand a wave of dangerous attacks from the 10-man Olympiakos squad. Iker Casillas made some absolutely incredible saves, drawing a deafening ovation from the Madrid fans at the Bernabeu.

It was the kind of nervous excitement Real Madrid fans came to expect towards the end of the 2006-2007 league run under Fabio Capello. I can't lie, it was absolutely breathtaking football. Occasionally beautiful, sometimes hideous, but always with an entertaining finish.

Javier Balboa, who replaced Wesley Sneijder in the 82nd, scored the 4-2 and secured the victory in the 90th.

Madrid-Olympiakos: Crucial CL Clash

Group C co-leaders (4 points each from two matches) Real Madrid and Olympiakos will meet at the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid on Wednesday. Madrid are coming into this match in dire form, dropping their match Saturday against Espanyol (see match recap) amidst a flurry of injuries and poor play.

Half of the starting 10 outfield players manager Bernd Schuster envisioned before the season are out with injuries.

Just this weekend they lost center back Fabio Cannavaro and defensive midfielder Diarra, both out of the match with Olympiakos. These injuries are added to the long list of walking wounded, as starting left back Gabriel Heinze, center back Pepe, and left winger Arjen Robben are also out.

Madrid CL Results:

Madrid's Champions League run has produced mixed results, much like their start to the Spanish League. They downed Werder Bremen 2-1 at home in their first match, winning but not winning convincingly. They followed that by drawing 2-2 with Lazio in Rome, a match that was theirs for the taking.

The draw at Lazio was painful, given that defensive lapses caused the team to twice blow leads and eventually settle for a draw.

Squad vs. Olympiakos:

The defense is going to be makeshift at best against Olympiakos on Wednesday, as Schuster will likely have to move Sergio Ramos from his preferred right back position into the center of defense, alongside Christoph Metzelder. A combination of Michel Salgado, Marcelo, or Miguel Torres will be covering the right and left back slots.

The midfield will likely comprise of Guti and Gago in the middle, with Wesley Sneijder and either Gonzalo Higuain or Robinho on the flanks.

Ruud van Nistelrooy and Raul will likely play up front, but it is worth noting Schuster brought in little used striker Roberto Soldado late in the game during the weekend. Given the dire performances recently, it would not be surprising to see Schuster make more ample use of his backup strikers, meaning Soldado and Javier Saviola may see minutes if the offensive struggles to produce.


Schuster should give Julio Baptista some minutes, as his outstanding effort and goal-scoring ability would be a welcome addition to the starting rotation. Odds are Baptista won't see a minute of time, but he could be a difference maker if given the chance.

Olympiakos Update:

For their part, Olympiakos just recently ended an 11-year, 31 match winless streak in Champions League away matches. They beat Werder Bremen 1-3 at Bremen, and they are starting to believe in themselves. Olympiakos striker Lomana LuaLua said, "You always want to face teams like Real Madrid because they're one of the best sides in the world, but we really believe we can beat anyone. We've already shown we can win away from home, so why not?"


They currently sit second in the Super Greece League, 4 points behind A.E.K Athens. They won the 2006-2007 Super Greece League title, and hence earned a Champions League berth.