Real Madrid vs Atlético Madrid (Post Match Summary)

By Somsundar Mishra
30th September 2018

El Derbi Madrileño!

Real Madrid were held by their neighbors in an intense Madrid Derby. Both teams were neck to neck and the match ended goalless.
After the horrible display of defence in the previous match against Sevilla in Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán, last night the team was much comfortable and defenders did their job. The star of Madrid defence was the new goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, with his two incredible off the line saves against Griezmann and Diego Costa to deny Atlético the lead.

The Los Blancos started the game well with some good buildups but failing to find any space to trouble the Atléti goalkeeper Jan Oblak, despite having the majority of possession (63% at the end of first half), there was no shot which made Oblak uncomfortable.  A brilliant chance came in the first half when Toni Kroos scooped in at the far post and Bale connected it with a volley which was centimeters wide of the post. In the halftime, Bale was feeling a slight discomfort in his right groin and had to be subbed off for Dani Ceballos. With his introduction, the team was fluidic and more intense, troubling Atléti constantly and as usual they decided to sit back and wait for any counter-attacking opportunity which would make Griezmann/Costa one on one against Courtois. But with Ceballos, off the ball press was so much that Atlético were dispossessed many times. There were chances for Asensio to finish off the game, but Oblak knowing when to charge gave Asensio microseconds to think about his shot. Asensio also had a chance to lay off to Ceballos but decided to become the hero and went on to set up his shot but got blocked. There were chances but Atlético were disciplined in their defensive line and didn't give any space, especially in the final third. Also, crosses inside the box were well dealt with by the huge Rojiblancos defenders.

Overall the game was exciting and intense for the neutrals, the home supporters might arguing that Real Madrid should've won. The last few matches of this derby in Bernabeu have ended in a stalemate. Madrid have to be efficient in their scoring as the season progresses and chances of getting on the top of the league should not be missed like this.

The team played great but lacked that final third efficiency. They're patient and are finding spaces, Courtois performed well which is a confidence boost to him, expectations are high. Gareth Bale's injury will be assessed and hopefully, it was just a precautionary sub-off and he'll be back soon. Meanwhile, it was Vinicius Jr.'s competitive debut for the first team, this great news got lost because of the sour result. We congratulate him and wish him he trains hard and earns a place in the first team!

¡Hala Madrid!

Real Madrid vs Espanyol (Post Match Summary)

By Kaustubh Ashtikar
24th September 2018

Nerve-wracking slender win!

Real Madrid got yet another 3 points in the bag after a very challenging win over Espanyol. Lopetegui decided not to field his best XI, as there is a mid week game.

The teams were only differentiated by one goal scored by Marco Asensio just a few minutes before the halftime. Odriozola grabbed his debut and showed why he was brought here from Sociedad.

Real Madrid saw a good hold of the ball from the start of the game however, the Espanyol was structurally sound and managed to hold off any goalscoring chances being created in the final third. The high-pressure strategy worked as Madrid were being able to recover the ball very quickly in each instance.
Despite the absence of key names such as Toni Kroos, Gareth Bale, Marcelo & Dani Carvajal, Madrid had most of the possession but had to work hard for that breakthrough. In the 41st minute, a failed shot/pass from Luka Modric took deflection from the defence and luckily fell on the feet of Marco Asensio. The Spaniard slotted it home easily without any pressure from the Espanyol defence. The goal had to be checked on VAR for potential offside and the goal was rightly given. Madrid got the lead 1-0.

The opposition again made it hard for Madrid to get any significant goalscoring chance and nearly scored due to the El Capitan's sloppy pass while moving the ball for an attack from the back. Fortunately, the ball only hit the crossbar and Los Blancos still had the goal advantage. Diego Lopez was troubled quite a few times by Madrid's attack and Ramos also came forward to test him. Marcos Llorente came very close to scoring the second goal after fantastically recovering the ball and crossing to Mariano who gave the ball back to him on the edge of the box, but heavy first touch made the shot difficult and he fired straight at Lopez. The Vikings were put into some pressure in the closing minutes. The last 15 minutes really tested Real Madrid's ability to hold on against the pressure and was a complete test for the Bernabeu faithful also. The match ended 1-0 with nervousness in the end but 3 points in the bag.

It was a decent performance and more efficiency would be required when facing against strong opponents. More creativity and attacking options have to be ventured for matches like these with structured defence and deadlock situations. Alvaro Odriozola was pumped up to show the home crowd why he was brought on in the Spanish Capital, his pacey runs and continuous back and forth runs for attack and defence really showed his quality. Llorente also grabbed this opportunity to show his quality, he'll be very important as the season gradually progresses. Mariano got some game time after a sensational debut goal against Roma, coming on for Benzema, he provided various attacking options but inefficient final third passes made those opportunities futile.

Madrid face Sevilla (on 27th September at 1.30 AM) in a midweek action and then Atletico Madrid (on 30th September at 12.15 AM) which will really test the Lopetegui side. We're in for the big matches now!

 

¡Hala Madrid!

Real Madrid vs Roma (Post Match Summary)

By Keerti
20th September 2018

Great start for the road to Wanda!

When Cristiano Ronaldo was being forced away from the field, tears in his eyes on a fateful Champions League matchday, on the other side of the spectrum his former club was pummeling its opponent with conviction. When Madrid met Roma at the Santiago Bernabeu, the favorites were predetermined. Roma had to make an effort to outclass their Spanish counterpart. Roma has always been sort of an enigma. They start as an underdog against many of the premier European teams, but with their small stature yet hard-boiled ambitions they’ve managed to upset a few. That was expected of them in this game as well.

It’s safe to say that Roma just failed to turn up. Their midfield looked clueless without Radja and Strootman. They just couldn't handle the high pressing of Madrid and often gifted the ball back when in possession. The counterattacks by Cengiz Ünder and Edin Dzeko often got stopped due to lack of support and constant hounding by Madrid players. Their defense was constantly terrorized by the Madrid attackers and midfielders as well. De Rossi picked up a Yellow at the edge of the box, which ultimately initiated his team’s doom. Manolas got easily handled by newcomer Diaz in the closing minutes of the match. Roma defenders were leaving space open for counter attacks. They were letting Madrid midfield dictate the play on their terms and by cutting in through passes. Even though he was Roma's man of the match for a few amazing stops but can't really blame Olsen, the Roma goalkeeper, for the goals as there was nothing he could do against such clinical finishing.

There was more right than wrong for the Whites in this match. The midfield was proactive. Modric was as emphatic as his usual self. Kroos was the midfield general, linking up well and was ever-present for a pass back. Casemiro's presence in the team was a breath of fresh air which negated any possibility of defensive liability. The defence was not tested by Roma leaving a few futile attacks. Ramos was composed but took one for the team as Kroos made a loose pass. Varane was making successful tackles and making crucial interceptions. Carvajal was balanced both attack and defense wise. Marcelo was Marcelo, he has changed his role to level we can't really say he is a left back can't even say he is wingback, whatever he does is just world class. Navas didn’t have much to do, but he was sharp as ever, Courtois' arrival has made him sharper. The only area of hiccup was the attack line. We were not efficient till Isco's slow-motion-esque freekick, the scoreline could've been more overwhelming but first game of UCL, so a great start.

MVPs:
Players performed as a team and were ever-present to give support and off the ball counter-press was wonderful and effective. Some players outshowed others even though everyone had a great game.

Top 5 performers:
1. Modric: 9/10
2. Isco: 8.5/10
3. Kroos: 7.5/10
4. Varane: 7.5/10
5. Bale: 7/10
Key Moment: Mariano's debut goal and that too a stunner in stoppage time, showed there's lot to come!

The Santiago Bernabeu is set to host Espanyol next and Roma is to pack their bags and travel to Bologna for their Serie A Fixture. Madrid would like to improve their attack in order to capitalize the clutch situations in tight matches. So that must be the prime objective of Lopetegui while building his squad for this season. Here’s a toast to both the teams and best wishes for their respective leagues.

¡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!

UEFA Super Cup Final - Real Madrid vs Atlético Madrid (Post Match Summary)

By Kaustubh Ashtikar 15th August 2018

As we experienced last night!

Atlético Madrid finally got their own back on Real Madrid after a 2-4 win over their local rivals after extra time of UEFA Super Cup 2018.

The match had a fast start after Diego Costa scored just after 50 seconds of play from a long pass and defensive errors by Sergio Ramos and Raphaël Varane helping him to fire over Keylor Navas to them a 1-0 lead. Los Blancos’ response was calm and fluidic as they tried to get on level terms with some really good build-up play and patient attacks. In the 27th minute, Gareth Bale decided to go for his signature right wing dash and provided a beautiful cross, curling away from the Atléti goalie, to Karim Benzema who headed it calmly for 1-1.

Real Madrid were looking really good with some beautiful possessional plays and high press when off the ball. They were set when they were awarded a penalty when Juanfran handled the ball inside the box and Ramos slotted the penalty with relative ease to give them a 1 goal lead. However, with continuous pressing and almost opposite of Atlético’s natural game, they went on for the equalizer and were successful to get it on the 79th minute.

There was no looking back for Los Colchoneros after that as they began to trouble the tired legs of the Real Madrid players and pushed on for the winner. Saúl Ñíguez and Koke got the 3rd and 4th goal for Atléti and was enough for them to win the UEFA Super Cup.

It was not an ideal start for Real Madrid and Julen Lopetegui after the departure Zinedine Zidane and Cristiano Ronaldo. The scoreline did not do the justice to the fluidic gameplay but small defensive lapses were enough to cause this humiliation. Now, more than ever determination is required by the players to understand and gel in with the system of Lopetegui. The management has also some make or break decisions. Only 15 days are remaining for this summer transfer window, fans are hopeful of some new signings but ultimately the decision is management’s and board’s to make.

What do you say, does this game show what our season will be? Or it will be a lesson for the squad to improve and get better? We are in for an exciting ride, be patient, be calm and scream

¡Hala Madrid!