Expectations in UCL 2018/19

By Tarandeep Singh
18th September 2018

Will 4 in a row be Real?

As the curtains draw close on the transfer window, Real Madrid acquired the signing of Mariano Diaz from Lyon opting for the buy-back clause. The end of the transfer window also brings upon the month of September and with it the excitement and zeal of the Champions League.
The Los Blancos have made a convincing start to the season after winning their first three games and drawing one game in La Liga under the new leadership of Julen Lopetegui. While it is visible that Bale will play a more prominent role this season after the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo, he has certainly proved his might by scoring or assisting in his last 6 games for the club.

Monaco on the 31st August saw hosts of representatives gather for the champions league draw which was ruled by the three-time champions league winner Real Madrid. Luka Modric won the UEFA Men’s Player of the year and also grabbed the Midfielder of the Season, winning the race against the ex-Madrid and the new Juventus man Ronaldo and the man who took premier league by storm, the Egyptian Mo Salah. Modric winning the trophy signaled the start of a new era wherein the previous years were dominated by Ronaldo and Messi. Keylor Navas won the Goalkeeper of the Season, supporting him again was the ever-present man in Real’s defence Sergio Ramos grabbing the title for Defender of the season and Ronaldo won the forward of the season for his heroics in the champions league.

Legendary collection of the European/Champions League trophies

The 2018-19 season will see the reigning champions clashing with Roma, CSKA Moscow and the Czech Republic champions Viktoria Plzen. While it is expected that Madrid will get past through the two latter clubs it will be their clash against AS Roma which will grab the eyes in the group stages. With a new season it will be surely expected from the European giants to go on and lift the trophy for the 4th time. The club who has the largest fan base in the world will need to put in much more effort and work cumulatively. Lopetegui faces the challenge of continuing the legacy for which without a strand of doubt he is well equipped.
Real start their champions league campaign at the Santiago Bernabeu against Roma on 19th September. The full fixture list can be seen in this link.

¡Hala Madrid!

Girona vs Real Madrid (Post Match Summary)

By Gaurav Nimkhedkar 27th August 2018

¡Remontada!
After some good display in the season opener against Getafe, Real Madrid was heading to Montilivi for their 2nd La Liga match. Promoted last season, Girona defeated Real Madrid 2-1 when they faced them last season. Real Madrid were prepared to face the challenge and not repeat the debacle which happened 12 months back.

It was heavily rumored that the new acquisition, Thibaut Courtois would get his debut but Lopetegui awarded Navas another start after a good match against Getafe. Nacho started again, alongside Sergio Ramos, after his brilliant performance in the last match. Casemiro started instead of Ceballos and the rest were the usual starters who also featured against Getafe. Note that Luka Modric and Varane had a busy summer featuring in the world cup final and the latter's team winning it, so they were not troubled to start in this game.

The game started with huge cheers from the Girona fans, trying to get into Los Blancos' players head. But Madrid was calm and composed and started their build for that first goal. On the 8th minute, Benzema got the chance and scored but it was judged offside. The game was end-to-end from the first minute, as Girona tried to capitalize every counter attacks they could, and succeeded when Lozano burst forward giving Borja Garcia a chance to score. Nacho couldn't stop Lozano and also Kroos 'jogged' back and couldn't press Borja Garcia who scored easily.

Real Madrid feared for last season's debacle and pressed on for the equalizer, and we got so desperate that one could see Ramos going for the attacks, he got 2 header chances which he couldn't direct it towards the goal. On the 38th minute, Asensio got the ball in the box and while trying to shuffle past the defender he was tripped, a penalty call which our El Capi slotted a panenka for 1-1. Second half, calm and composed build-ups and great possessive plays resulted in another penalty call, which Benzema took, sending the Girona goalkeeper in the different direction for 1-2. Gareth Bale scored on the 59th minute after his trademark burst and slotted it easily in the bottom left corner. Gareth Bale showed that he can lead and was seen everywhere on the pitch, coming back for the build-ups, helping with counter press and then popping up on the right wing for his dash runs to assist Benzema for an easy finish for his double.

From the bench, Varane, Modric came on for Marcelo and Isco respectively for some match fitness and Lucas came on for the Welshman. They saw to it that Girona didn't cause any problems to Madrid and we secured a 1-4 win!

As Real Madrid play week after week, we're understanding what Lopetegui's system is and what he expects from the players. Players are still understanding the system and trying to get well from the world cup hangover. These are times when one can't wait to see what Lopetegui can do in the big matches, guess we'll have to wait and see

¡Hala Madrid!

Expectations in La Liga 2018/19

By Tarandeep Singh
19th August 2018

Will they? Won’t they?

The 2017/18 season saw Real Madrid achieve something which was highly regarded as unthinkable. They conquered the champions league third time in a row, becoming the first team in the modern era to achieve this feat. There is slightly any doubt when it comes to Madrid’s dominance in the champions league. On the contrary, in La Liga, the season was marred with inconsistent performances and an untimely exit from the Copa del Rey which came after the home defeat to Leganés.

In the past few years, fluid play and consistency have been the major issues faced by the Los Blancos. Julen Lopetegui, the newly appointed manager of the club will focus on this major aspect. Lopetegui is highly regarded for his tenure as the Spanish National team’s manager, where he did not lose a single match and this is a prime example of consistency which Real Madrid so desire.

Bus parade after winning the record 33rd La Liga

The 2016/17 La Liga winners will start their new season without their talisman Cristiano Ronaldo. The departures of Zidane and Ronaldo have left the club in a dilemma, but the club’s president Florentino Perez believes that the current squad has the quality and capability to go on and lift the league title this season. For this to happen, it will be necessary for the likes of Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema to provide the goals out front for Madrid. 

It is widely believed that the club has scrapped of its Galactico policy with Gareth Bale the last galactico to arrive at the Santiago Bernabeu. The club is thinking about its future by investing in young and potential filled talent. The arrival of the likes of Álvaro Odriozola from Real Sociedad and Andriy Lunin from Zorya Luhansk, Ukraine, certainly buttresses the claim. Whereas the arrival of the world cup golden glove winner Thibaut Courtois from Chelsea for a mere 35 million euros can be sorted as one of the deals of this transfer market. The highly-rated goalkeeper will be competing for on-field action with the sensational Keylor Navas who has been ever-present between the sticks during Real’s hattrick of champions league.

Real Madrid surely is one of the biggest clubs in the world and winning La Liga will be a priority for the team. A league where Real has only won 2 times in 9 years with their counterparts and bitter rivals Barcelona dominating the scene. The fans expect fluidity in play, consistency, good off possession game and lots of trophies with La Liga being the prime target. We’re off to a new journey, a new challenge but with the same old expectation of winning everything, a new era begins!

¡Hala Madrid!