Real Put Six Past Betis

Real Madrid sent out an ominous warning ahead of their Tuesday encounter with Liverpool in the Champions League by posting six goals past Real Betis – with all the goals coming in the first half.

This was Real’s ninth win on the trot, making 10 wins from 11, and was achieved against a team that last week had drawn against the previously untouchable Barcelona (spit…). To add to the Madridistas ecstasy, the Catalans were defeated at home for the first time this season in their derby match with Espanyol. Barcelona’s lead in La Liga has been whittled down to 7 points in the space of 14 days and there’s much talk in the pubs and bars that they could be choking – again – although this is probably a case of getting carried away as Barca have been resting key players ahead of Champions League duties and saving the tiny terror Messi from burnout.

Nonetheless, there’s a smile back at the Bernabeu and an even bigger one on the face of Real coach Juande Ramos, who only a few months back was heading ignominiously out of White Hart Lane.

La Liga – All Over Bar The Shouting (and Drinking)

That’s it then. Although not mathematically certain, Real should be crowned champions either next week or the week after.

After round 34 of the domestic season of the Primera División, which featured Real at home to Athletic Bilbao and Getafe vs Atlético, Real are now 10 points clear with 4 matches to play.

A three-nil win over Athletic, combined with Champions League distracted Barcelona’s loss to Deportivo, saw a very content Santiago Bernabeu stadium last night. With only four matches left it would require Real to implode spectacularly not to win now. So, not as exciting as last year’s championship win, which was only sealed in the final match, but gratifying nonetheless. Celebrations will be held in Plaza Cibeles as usual and much drinking will be expected but without the hysteria that accompanied last year’s celebrations – which is probably just as well.

Atleti’s mini derby with Getafe ended in a 1-1 draw. The striped one’s are still in the all important 4th position, which would guarantee European football next season, but they’re only 2 points ahead of Racing and Atleti are known for being chokers so it’s still all to play for.

Real Madrid Score Super Seven

Last week’s deserved loss to Almeria appears to have had a cathartic effect on Real Madrid. Apparently cruising at the head of La Liga, with nearest rivals Barcelona falling away by only picking up away draws, the 0-2 away defeat had come as a shock.

Tonight the all-whites came back to their senses. And scored seven goals in the process.  

In a way, the scoreline doesn’t reflect Real Valladolid’s own ability. No, really, don’t laugh. Because the fact is Luis Mendilibar’s team (playing  in light purple tonight - yeuch) actually created a deal of chances and could have scored several themselves. Only piss-poor finishing and yet more heroics from Casillas in goal kept the Madrid goal intact in the first 30 minutes. The trouble was, Valladolid’s ambition was their downfall. Playing so far up the field, committing men to attack, especially in the wide positions, yes they were making chances, but they were also exposing the defensive line. Fatally. Because above all, tonight was a lethal display of the art of counter-attack.  

The majority of the damage was donein the last 15 minutes of the first half when Real scored four.  Guti was the creator, picking up loose balls and carving out long passes that allowed the forwards to get in behind the defensive line -the exposed Valladolid ‘keeper each time being left in one-on-one situations.

Five-nil at half time, Real added two more after the break making it the league’s biggest win of the season and Valladolid’s biggest defeat in ther club’s 79-year history.

The Scorers:

Julio Baptista 7
Raul 30
Robben 32
Raul (pen) 37
Guti 43
Guti 62
Drenthe 80

Real Madrid vs Villareal and Mallorca vs Atlético

Real played a very open game tonight – that is to say, they gave a dangerous Villareal team lots of opportunities, and were quite lucky to get away with a 3-2 home win. Robinho, who has been in blinding form this season, started things off in the 8th minute with a gem of a goal created by a superb Guti pass – a genuine ‘defence splitter’. The ‘yellow submarine’ (Villareal’s nickname) equalised a mere seven minutes later – the first goal Casillas had conceded in 574 minutes of league action. 1-1 at half time. It was Robinho who again grabbed the lead for Real, Sergio Ramos racing half the length of the field before laying the ball off to Raul, whose first-time shot was superbly stopped one-handed by Lopez, the ball rebounding to Guti whose shot was again blocked by Lopez, but who couldn’t make a third save as Robinho coolly slotted home right into the corner. Again Villareal bounced back, a 76th minute goal drawing things level, only for substitute Schneider to blast what was to be the winner only a minute or so later. Both keepers played excellently tonight – the 3-2 scoreline does not reflect how well they defended their goals – and this was the second game in a row where Casillas has proved to be the match winner for Real.

Meanwhile Atleti slumped to a tame 0-1 away loss at Mallorca, a team who are proving troublesome to both Madrid teams this season, and Reyes got sent off. He shook the referees hand before he left the pitch as a tacit admission that he deserved the red card. This was the Colchoneros first away loss since October 7th (versus Barcelona).

With second-placed Barca drawing with Athletic Bilbao earlier in the evening, Real’s victory means that the reigning champions are now nine points clear at the top of La Liga, while Atleti stayed in 4th position, some 16 points behind the all-whites.