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Post by Bismarck on Dec 6, 2007 11:25:25 GMT
Been thinking of it for a while....it's my favourite foreign teams.
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Post by Bismarck on Dec 6, 2007 11:36:58 GMT
Raul this season.... On Saturday night in the match against Racing Santander, Raúl did a strange thing. No, it was not the 4th minute as-easy-as-you-like strike past Tono, it was not even the marvelous Captain Fantastic performance that he gifted the 80,000 odd Bernabéu faithful gathered to watch their team win and win with thrall; instead it was the brave audacity of him to ask Wesley Sneijder for the ball to be left for him to strike. Not unusual for a striker, that’s for sure, and especially not for someone of Raúl’s goal poaching instincts. But it does seem somewhat amusingly bizarre when you realize that it was actually a dead ball situation with a potentially dangerous free-kick to be taken from just outside the Racing penalty area....... Raúl, of all player, asking his team mates to let him curl a free-kick? This must be a joke, right? No, this isn’t a joke and the goal that Raúl scored from that free-kick wasn’t a joke either. It wasn’t a joke to the Racing goalkeeper Tono who watched helplessly as the ball curved into the back of his net; it wasn’t a joke to the Real fanatics assembled inside the Bernabéu for the match who went absolutely bonkers after the goal; and it certainly wasn’t a joke to Raúl who with that goal is firmly back as the leader of the Pichichi.......... Raúl is a reinvented, rediscovered being these days and the turnaround is laid bare for even a blindman to see. Gone are the days when the man with the most frightening record in European club football with 5 La Liga trophies and 3 UEFA Champions League medals was lurking in the shadows of his old ghost, trying hard but not succeeding to recover his twin brother from the attic. Gone too is the labouring Raúl , dropping deep, running all over the place and playing in all sorts of weird positions just to accommodate himself in the first team........ This Raúl is vastly different. The Madrileno might not be at the peak of his ability but he is certainly a reformed, resurrected and refurbished footballer these days. With 8 goals in 14 league matches so far this season, Raúl is joint top scorer with Lionel Messi and Luis Fabiano. One can discern a spring in his steps, a conviction in his rhythm and a rhyme in his game. The emblem of the biggest and most successful club in football history (read Real Madrid), Raúl is now enjoying the most successful spell both in his and the club’s last three years........ Real Madrid might have torn La Liga title from arch rivals FC Barcelona’s grasp on the last day of the season in sensational fashion enough to knock the steam out of The Da Vinci Code they did so mechanically, employing the three principles of Capelloism which are: a) defend, b) defend and c) defend. Raúl was able to excavate the back of the opposition net just 7 times last season and was often played as a winger and even as a central midfielder in an attacking position by the then Real manager Fabio Capello. So much so that Raúl had to warm the bench at certain conjectures last season under Capello...... But this season there has been a wind of change ranting at the Bernabéu. Capello’s caveman football has disappeared and replacing it is Bernd Schuster’s organized football based on attack and midfield creativity. True, Schuster still hasn’t managed to pick his best first xi, hasn’t presented Arsenal or Barcelona football to the Madridistas and has been found tactically lacking in certain games so far, but there’s no suspicion that Real’s game under the German is more pleasing to the eye and appeals to the finer senses. And with the surge of Real Madrid, there has been an escalation in Raúl’s form too........ So far Raúl has featured in 14 La Liga and 5 Champions League matches and has already scored a total of 10. More importantly he has been played alongside Ruud van Nistelrooy as a striker and not as a makeshift something-or-the-other. What Schuster has done is restore Raúl in his favoured position and the effects, all positive, can be felt in all quarters. Of course Raúl has been aided by the contribution of Robinho, Guti and Wesley Sneijder from the attacking midfield department but no one can take away Raúl’s input into this still settling but exciting Real Madrid team....... Against Santander on Saturday Raúl was the best player on the pitch and the Santiago Bernabéu realized it. Chants of “Raúl! Raúl!” were ringing wild and at the heart of the emotion soaking the Bernabéu was the belief that the 30–year old Raúl was back to his best. In a club where entertainment and efficiency are held at par and where “winning ugly” doesn’t equate to smiles and praise (ask Capello who was sacked immediately after last season’s title triumph), Raúl is the King, the ultimate warrior and pride........ And now that Raúl has recaptured his lost form and since no one doubts his class, is it time for an international recall? Raúl’s performance before last season had been so wretched that Spain coach Luis Aragonés had no option but to drop him from the national squad. He even dropped the player with the distinction of being the all time highest goalscorer for Spain (with 44 goals in 102 matches) from the last few games of the Euro 2008 qualifiers when Raúl looked more and more like a player who was enjoying his recovery........ But can Aragonés keep on ignoring Raúl? Real Madrid custodian Iker Casillas doesn’t think so. After the 3-1 win over Racing, Casillas said, “If he (Raúl) continues like this, Luis Aragonés will take him to the European Championships… He has been a fundamental player for the national team and wants to return.” And so he will, so he will........ You might not be interested....but the man is a football genius.... The music is good too....
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Post by SaintTim on Dec 6, 2007 12:02:45 GMT
Impressive
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Post by Bismarck on Dec 6, 2007 12:33:00 GMT
Trying to talk Mrs Bissy into taking me there next year...
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Post by arover on Dec 6, 2007 14:40:54 GMT
Raul suffered from the galactico era even though he mostly still played all the coaches who came and went were almost forced to prioritise their foreign stars.
Same thing happened to Morientes.
Problem with Real is they were the team of the establishment during the days of Franco much more romance involved with Barca.
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Post by Bismarck on Dec 6, 2007 17:19:13 GMT
1 Real Madrid 14 10 2 2 19 32 2 Barcelona 14 8 4 2 16 28 3 Villarreal 14 9 1 4 5 28 4 Atlético de Madrid 14 8 3 3 12 27 5 Espanyol 14 7 5 2 5 26 6 Valencia 14 8 0 6 -3 24 7 Racing Santander 14 6 5 3 0 23 8 Mallorca 14 5 5 4 3 20 9 Zaragoza 14 5 3 6 -1 18 10 Getafe C.F 14 5 3 6 -1 18 11 Athletic Club 14 4 5 5 -1 17 12 Sevilla 14 5 1 8 4 16 13 Osasuna 14 4 4 6 -1 16 14 U.D Almería 14 4 4 6 -3 16 15 Valladolid 14 4 4 6 -5 16 16 Real Murcia 14 3 6 5 -5 15 17 Recreativo de Huelva 14 4 3 7 -9 15 18 Deportivo de la Coruña 14 3 4 7 -8 13 19 Real Betis Balompié 14 2 5 7 -9 11 20 Levante U.D 14 2 1 11 -18 7
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Post by likeasharkinafunnyhat on Dec 14, 2007 21:01:09 GMT
"There are only two football clubs in the world with a FIFA Order of Merit. One is Real Madrid, the other is Sheffield FC."
Osasuna this weekend...another win Otto?
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Post by andynufcfan on Dec 15, 2007 14:20:51 GMT
i like real madrid and barcelona ive always preffered one or the other and both have their eras like madrid dominated under del bosque and barca have under riijkard but now it seems to be swinging madrids way again
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Post by Bismarck on Dec 15, 2007 20:28:57 GMT
"There are only two football clubs in the world with a FIFA Order of Merit. One is Real Madrid, the other is Sheffield FC." Osasuna this weekend...another win Otto? Looking at the stats it should be a cakewalk.....
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Post by Bismarck on Dec 17, 2007 11:35:52 GMT
Real Madrid 2-0 (HT 1-0) Osasuna
An early goal from Ruud van Nistelrooy maintained their 100 percent record at the Bernabeu this season and left them with a comfortable cushion over arch-rivals Barca, who they visit next weekend.
Wesley Sneijder made sure of the points midway through the second half against a limited but determined Osasuna.
Real have 38 points and Barca 34 after they saw off Valencia 3-0 at the Mestalla on Saturday.
Earlier, Atletico Madrid were held to a goalless draw at Recreativo Huelva but hung on to third place in the standings on 31 points.
Italian goalkeepers Christian Abbiati of Atletico and Stefano Sorrentino of Recre were the outstanding figures as Atletico in particular failed to take their chances.
Turkish striker Nihat Kahveci scored twice for Villarreal in a 3-1 away win at Getafe, that ended a run of three games without a win for Manuel Pellegrini's side. They went level on 31 points with Atletico in fourth.
Espanyol are fifth with 30 points, after their 1-0 win over bottom club Levante on Saturday, and Racing Santander stay sixth with 26 despite losing 2-1 at Real Murcia.
Elsewhere, Sevilla were held to goalless draw at Valladolid and new Real Betis coach Paco Chaparro made it two wins from two after his side overcame nine-man Almeria 3-1 at home with a double from Argentine striker Mariano Pavone.
CUTTING EDGE
Real took the lead against the run of play with their first effort in the 16th minute, when Sneijder's free kick found Van Nistelrooy unmarked in front of goal to head his eighth of the season.
The Navarrans continued to dominate possession and threatened from set pieces, but lacked the cutting edge to really test Real keeper Iker Casillas.
Robinho, Raul and Sneijder went close for Real as Bernd Schuster's side looked far sharper in front of goal, but it was not until the 76th minute that they sealed the victory.
Robinho spun clear of three markers in midfield to launch a counter-attack that finished with Dutchman Sneijder lashing the ball beyond keeper Ricardo.
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Post by Bismarck on Jan 5, 2008 1:09:12 GMT
According to reports in the Daily Express, Real Madrid are interested in signing Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United, having made him their top target. A leading agent told the Express: "A few days ago, as the transfer window opened, Real Madrid made it plain they would pay 60m euros (44.3m), but Manchester United's response was emphatic. They told Real not to come back with anything less than 100m euros (73.9m) - and even then there is no guarantee that they would would take it."
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Post by Bismarck on Jan 7, 2008 21:17:49 GMT
MADRID, Jan 6 (Reuters) - Real Madrid restored their seven-point lead at the top of the Primera Liga and maintained their 100 percent record at the Bernabeu with a ruthlessly efficient 2-0 win over Real Zaragoza on Sunday.
Zaragoza completely dominated for over an hour but were frustrated by a succession of top-class saves by Real keeper Iker Casillas and some profligate finishing by their strikers.
Real made off with the points thanks to a sharp header from leading striker Ruud van Nistelrooy and a cool breakaway finish from Robinho.
With one game to go before the halfway mark in the season, Real lead the table on 44 points, seven clear of Barcelona who ground out a 2-0 win away to Real Mallorca on Saturday.
Espanyol are a point behind Barca in third after their classy 3-0 win over Villarreal on Saturday, while Atletico Madrid are two further back in fourth after a rare 3-0 win away to struggling Deportivo Coruna.
Zaragoza, who went into the game at the Bernabeu without a win in their last seven outings, were in complete control in a one-sided first half.
But an inspired Casillas kept the home side in it with a string of brilliant saves to deny the Zaragoza strikers.
Ricardo Oliveira finally managed to beat the Real keeper on the hour only to see his low drive hit the base of the post.
Five minutes later, in practically their first attack of the game, Van Nistelrooy put Real in front when he headed in at the near post after some good work by Robinho on the right.
Robinho completed a classic smash-and-grab raid 11 minutes later, firing home after breaking clear down the middle of the pitch, while Casillas made several more superb saves to ensure Zaragoza were sent home empty handed.
Earlier strike partners Diego Forlan and Sergio Aguero led Atletico Madrid their first league win in 13 years at the Riazor.
Forlan broke the deadlock in what had been a tight contest when he snapped in at the far post six minutes and Aguero made it 2-0 early in the second half with a coolly-taken solo effort.
Midfielder Jurado wrapped up 12 minutes later when he scored with a powerful header from the edge of the area after the Deportivo defence failed to deal with a corner.
Ronald Koeman's Valencia continued their dismal run of form and were jeered off the pitch by their own fans when they were helf to a 0-0 draw at home by Levante, the first time the basement side have taken a point away from home this season.
Sevilla continued their revival and closed to within a point of seventh-placed Valencia with a 3-0 win at home to city rivals Real Betis, Primera Liga top scorer Luis Fabiano taking his tally for the season to 12 goals with a first-half double.
Angel Vivar Dorado came back to haunt his former club Getafe when he scored two goals in an emphatic 3-0 win for Valladolid at the Coliseum.
Racing Santander strengthened their bid for a place in Europe with a narrow win over Athletic Bilbao, the only goal coming two minutes before halftime when Bilbao striker Fernando Llorente deflected a Mohamed Tchite header into his own net after a free kick.
Swedish striker Henok Goitom was the architect of a valuable win for Murcia over Osasuna, tucking a neat shot past keeper Ricardo in the 73rd minute and then winning a penalty in added time that was converted by midfielder Abel.
French striker Florent Sinama-Pongolle broke his barren run in front of goal to put Recreativo Huelva ahead against Almeria with a deflected left-foot shot on 14 minutes.
But Almeria equalised five minutes later when defender Mane cracked in with a first-time shot from the edge of the area after a corner.
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Post by Bismarck on Feb 9, 2008 13:49:38 GMT
Bernd Schuster had just enough men to hold a proper workout on Saturday, twenty-four hours before Real Madrid host Valladolid at the Bernabéu. Van Nistelrooy, Pepe, Saviola, Metzelder, and Torres are unavailable to play due to injury and Sneijder must serve his one game suspension. While the squad is short-handed, Guti was able to train without incident. Heinze participated in the first half of the workout and then continued with his particular recovery protocol.
Gonzalo Higuaín returned to Real Madrid camp on Friday fresh off a two-goal performance with Argentina, and today the forward rejoined his teammates to put the finishing touches on preparations for tomorrow's clash against Valladolid. All other internationals returned on Thursday and had just two days to train. With several players out to injury and another suspended, Bernd Schuster has just 18 men to pick from when drawing up the next squad list. Work at Valdebebas was split into two groups over the course of the week. Those injured worked hard to recover from their respective niggles. Van Nistelrooy -severly bruised right ankle- and Miguel Torres -minor right thigh muscle tear- worked out in the gym, while Saviola spent the morning jogging on his own. Pepe and Metzelder have yet to set foot outdoors and also focused their efforts in the gymnasium.
Guti looked to have sprained his left ankle during last Thursday's training session, but after nursing it for two days the midfielder was back in action with his teammates and trained without any sign of relapse.
Schuster should have little trouble picking the eleven men who confront Valladolid on Sunday. The Whites are looking to return to their winning ways after their slip-up against Almería, but there's no question the Santiago Bernabéu will be at its best and fully supportive of its team.
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Post by Bismarck on Feb 9, 2008 13:52:00 GMT
Sergio Ramos' value is incalculable. His versatility, hard work and help in attack make him stand out. The defender tops the ranking of steals in the Spanish League (179), followed by Iker Casillas (172).Sergio Ramos' great quality allows him to play either as centre back or right back, performing efficiently in both positions. In fact, his work is so good that he currently steals more balls than anyone else in the Spanish competition, topping the ranking with 179 steals. He is followed by Iker Casillas (172). The injuries on the squad force Ramos to play anywhere in defence and he is the only player in the top 5 who isn't a keeper. But this is not all Sergio's work comes down to. He plays an important role in the team's attack as well, earning the seventh spot in the assists ranking (905). Besides all this, he has managed to score three goals this season. Assists rankingEveryone acknowledges Real Madrid's efficiency at scoring, which is in great part possible thanks to the work of Guti and Van Nistelrooy. The second captain is second in the ranking, while the Dutchman is fourth, proving he not only knows how to score, but to help others do so.
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Post by Bismarck on Feb 9, 2008 13:54:49 GMT
Bernd Schuster is hoping to recover as many players as he can over the course of the week. This morning Heinze, Gago, and Saviola were the first players on the Valdebebas turf.Real Madrid are without ten internationals, but all are expected to return by Thursday in order to continue preparations for Sunday's clash against Valladolid. Activity continued at Valdebebas, however, despite the short-handed squad. So many players away makes for a great week to empty out the sick bay. Gabriel Heinze is on the fast track to kissing his torn left thigh muscle goodbye. The Argentine defender joined fellow countryman Fernando Gago for a forty minutes jog on Tuesday morning. Javier Saviola, who was injured in Copa action against Mallorca, set foot on the turf for the first time to begin recovering from his sprained knee and ankle. Van Nistelrooy, Pepe, and Metzelder, meanwhile, worked out in the gym. The rest of the squad began their warmup in the gym and then headed outdoors for ball work. Balboa, Soldado, Salgado, Diarra, Guti, Raúl, Codina, and Dudek were joined by youth teamers Villafañe, Giraldez, and Krzystof. The eleven men formed a circle and were joined by Bernd Schuster for a game of keep away prior to carrying out other exercises with the ball.
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Post by Bismarck on Feb 13, 2008 13:23:15 GMT
No one has given as many assists as Guti this year. The team's second captain played a key role in every single one of the goals, even netting two of them.
Last night, Guti gave a masterclass on how to be a perfect attacking midfielder. He scored two goals and gave five assists, topping the assists ranking of the Spanish League -he is followed by Mallorca's Ibagaza (9) and Villarreal's Senna (7)-. The second captain's spectacular passes confirm he has the greatest football vision in Spain. The midfielder has become a key player on the team. He is unstoppable whenever there is room in which to attack. One of every five goals the Whites score comes from his feet, helping Real Madrid become the top-scoring side in the championship by far this year with 53 strikes -eight more than runners-up Barcelona and Sevilla-.
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Post by a king of orient on Feb 13, 2008 20:38:08 GMT
Their key player Robinho (Ribena-ho) has torn his stomach muscle. He is an instrumental player and is in showboat every week on Soccer AM. He compliments Ruud brilliantly.
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Post by Bismarck on Feb 15, 2008 0:22:02 GMT
Casillas and Raul commit to Real Madrid for life
MADRID, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Real Madrid striker Raul and goalkeeper Iker Casillas have signed contract extensions that will keep them at the Primera Liga club for the rest of their playing careers.
Spain's first-choice goalkeeper Casillas, 26, has tied himself to Real until 2017 while club captain Raul, 30, extended his deal by one year to 2011.
Both agreements will automatically roll over beyond the contracted periods if the players complete 30 official matches in the previous season. A similar deal is also on the table for Real midfielder Guti.
'Iker Casillas and Raul have both agreed to stay with the club for the rest of their sporting lives,' Real president Ramon Calderon told a news conference on Thursday.
'On this day, which is Valentine's day, Iker, Raul and Real can say they love each other, they need each other, and complement each other and will commit for life.
'I am not going to speak about money but I can say they will earn less than they deserve because the example they set for the young and the enthusiasm they transmit to the fans isn't quantifiable and you cannot put a value on it.'
Both players entered Real's first team from the youth ranks, Raul in 1994 and Casillas in 1999, and have become stalwarts in the side.
Casillas, who has won two European Cups and three league titles with Real, said: 'This allows me to complete another wish of mine which is stay here for many years.'
Raul, who has won three European Cups and five league titles at the club added: 'This was all sorted out in five minutes because it was always the intention of both parties that I continue.'
Later on Thursday, Calderon told radio Marca: 'Next week, it will be the same with Guti, another symbolic player for the club. We haven't signed yet because he is a little lazier, but it will be with the same conditions.'
The 31-year-old´s current deal expires in 2010.
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Post by Bismarck on Feb 17, 2008 11:31:45 GMT
MADRID, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Real Madrid slipped to their second defeat in three games after surrendering an early lead to lose 2-1 at struggling Real Betis on Saturday.
And title rivals Barcelona closed the gap to just five points after a debatable penalty helped them beat Real Zaragoza 2-1.
Juanfran was harshly adjudged to have handled in the area but the ball seemed to conme off his shoulder.
Ronaldinho netted the spot kick with just six minutes of the game remaining.
Real Madrid Midfielder Royston Drenthe put the Primera Liga pacesetters in front in the sixth minute but Betis struck two quickfire goals before the break, Brazilian forward Edu heading the first and winger Mark Gonzalez nodding the second.
Improving Sevilla moved up to sixth with a 4-2 victory in an entertaining match at Espanyol.
Brazil striker Luis Fabiano took his tally for the season to 17 when he fired Sevilla's opening goal while African Footballer of the Year Frederic Kanoute added the second.
Christian Poulsen and Diego Capel were also on target for the visitors.
Espanyol, who had Pablo Zabaleta sent off after 65 minutes, have lost five out of six games but remain fifth, three points clear of Sevilla.
Real Madrid got off to the perfect start at the Ruiz de Lopera when Drenthe angled a shot in at the far post after fellow Dutchman Arjen Robben cut the ball across the area.
The visitors had two good chances to extend their advantage as Raul fired straight at Portugal keeper Ricardo and Robben lashed over with his weaker right foot.
Just as Madrid looked to be at their most comfortable, Betis hit back with two goals in four minutes.
Edu got in between Madrid defenders Marcelo and Sergio Ramos to power in a header at the far post from a cross by Mariano Pavone.
The second was an almost exact replica, except this time it was former Liverpool winger Gonzalez who outjumped Ramos and Marcelo to head in after Edu had turned fullback Michel Salgado inside out before crossing.
Madrid coach Bernd Schuster planned to rest Ruud van Nistelrooy before Tuesday's Champions League match against AS Roma but threw on the striker with half an hour to go.
The Dutchman almost equalised when he hit the post before Betis went on to claim their first points in three games to move four points clear of the drop zone.
Barcelona were fortunate to beat Zaragoza at the Estadio La Romareda.
Barca took the lead at Real Zaragoza when Thierry Henry received a lovely chipped Deco pass and struck past César in the 34th minute.
Eight minutes later the home side had a glorious chance to equalise when Rafael Márquez was harshly adjudged to have brought down Ricardo Oliveira in the penalty area.
Replays suggested Oliveira had made the most of, at best, minimal contact.
However, Diego Milito blasted his spot kick well over the crossbar.
Zaragoza did pull level early into the second period when Ricardo Oliveira made the most of a swift break from Sergio Garcia and struck from close range.
But a controversial penalty award - for handball against Juanfran gifted Ronaldinho the chance to win the game for Barca, which he duly did with a precise finish.
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Post by Bismarck on Feb 22, 2008 2:17:33 GMT
MADRID, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Modest Getafe have been a thorn in the side of Real Madrid in recent meetings and they have the chance to be a nuisance again when they visit the leaders in the Primera Liga on Sunday.
Real coach Bernd Schuster's former club were the last team to take a point at the Bernabeu, when they drew 1-1 there last March, and were unlucky to lose by a solitary goal after having dominated in the Coliseum earlier this season.
However, they are in unfamiliar territory at present as one of only two Spanish clubs still alive in three competitions, the other being Barcelona.
They host AEK Athens in a UEFA Cup last 32 second leg on Thursday and next week face Racing Santander in the King's Cup semi-final first leg. They are 13th in the league.
'I don't know which game is more important,' Getafe coach Michael Laudrup said.
'Thursday's game is a decider, Sunday's is in a place any player would love to play and next week's Cup game has a return leg but is one step from a final. Whatever happens we always go out to win.'
Getafe are fortunate to be catching the champions at a time when one or two doubts are creeping into their minds following a run of three defeats from their last four games in all competitions.
The reverses have all been on their travels, the last a 2-1 loss to AS Roma in the Champions League on Tuesday, but at home they maintain a 100 per cent league record.
Schuster's squad is likely to be boosted by the return from injury of Brazilian forward Robinho, while Dutch winger Arjen Robben is finally starting to make his mark in the side.
Last weekend's surprise 2-1 defeat at Real Betis saw their lead at the top cut to five points, and any more slip-ups will be gratefully received in Barcelona.
Frank Rijkaard's side were lucky to overcome Real Zaragoza 2-1 away last week but return to the Nou Camp to take on basement club Levante on Sunday at a stadium where they have won all but one of their league games this season.
Barca beat Celtic 3-2 away in a Champions League-thriller on Wednesday and can count on Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o once again.
Since the turn of the year, Levante have shown more spirit than they did a few months ago but they have only garnered four points on their travels.
Third-placed Villarreal travel to Athletic Bilbao on Sunday when fourth-placed Atletico Madrid are in Pamplona to take on Osasuna.
Javier Aguirre's side are without suspended regulars Sergio Aguero, Raul Garcia and Pablo Ibanez while winger Simao Sabrosa is injured.
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Post by Bismarck on Feb 24, 2008 12:37:33 GMT
Neighbouring side Getafe also play good football. They recently qualyfied for the UEFA Cup Last 16 and will look for another positive result in order to distance themselves further from the relegation zone in La Liga. Real Madrid haven't lost at home in the League in over a year and will look for another victory to keep their distance with Barcelona intact.
Real Madrid and Getafe will face it off in the only derby of the weekend. Both sides will leave good relations aside and fight hard for three points. The encounter will mark the return of Michael Laudrup to the Bernabéu -this time as Getafés coach-, and the second time Schuster faces his former side as Real Madrid's coach.
Real Madrid haven't lost a League game at the White Colosseum in over a year, and a new victory tonight is essential for their title aspirations, especially after losing in Almería and against Betis in recent weeks. But they must be weary because Getafe happen to be the last team that took points at the Bernabéu -4 March 2007, with Schuster as their coach-.
The Blues recently defeated AEK Athens in the UEFA Cup, becoming the only Spanish team that's made it to the Last 16. Nevertheless, they are only five points away from relegation in La Liga, so a victory tonight will be crucial for them.
The Whites won their last home clash 7-0 -against Valladolid- and they will try their best to snatch another win, especially when there is a chance of being only two points away from Barcelona by the start of the match if the latter defeat Levante this evening.
Getafe will have to overcome several obstacles in order to win. The first is the absence of loaned out Madridistas Rubén De la Red and Esteban Granero, whose contracts prevent them from playing against Real Madrid.
Gavilán, Pallardo, Sousa and Franck Signorino are all injured, and Contra is currently in Romania attending his father's funeral. The latter's right back position will be covered by David Cortés, who will be accompanied in defence by Cata Díaz, Berenguer and Lucas Licht. Roberto 'Pato' Abbondanzieri will line-up as keeper. Their midfield line will be formed by Casquero and Celestini, while Pablo Hernández and Manu del Moral will take winger duties. Uche and Albín will be the team's attacking front.
Diarra has been suffering from a muscle strain since the match against Roma and may be replaced tonight by Baptista. Guti and Ramos have recovered from their niggles and will be in the starting eleven.
Madrid's defensive line will comprise Sergio Ramos, Cannavaro, Heinze and Torres. The midlfield will be covered by Fernando Gago, Guti and Baptista, while Arjen Robben, Raúl and Van Nistelrooy will lead the attack.
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Post by Bismarck on Feb 26, 2008 12:03:15 GMT
Real Madrid's players have already forgotten about the defeat and think only about their next League clash with Recreativo Huelva.
Higuaín "We unfortunately dropped three points. The only thing we can do now is to continue fighting. The League is much tighter. We only think about our match in Huelva. We have to try to win all our games. I don't want to talk about Getafe's goal. I didn't see it. We are strong and we know we can't allow something like that to happen again. We have to stand firm and to start work well again." Guti "It's amazing something like this happened to Real Madrid. We can't afford to drop three points in situations like these, especially when we have the game under control and more chances of scoring the first goal. We knew the game was going to be complicated. It's a shame to have put an end to the great run we had at home. I don't think Getafe deserved to win and we are very disappointed. A team like Real Madrid shouldn't lose three consecutive games."
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Post by Bismarck on Mar 2, 2008 4:16:13 GMT
Miguel Torres and Diarra commented on how important Saturday's victory was and both already have next Wednesday's match against Roma in mind.
Torres: “We knew it would be a complicated match. We were very practical. We managed to recover the point that we had lost, and now we have to rest because on Wednesday we have a very important match in store.” “The five-point lead gives us a little breathing room heading into the Roma clash. We have have very deternined people here, and that's what tilted the match in our favor.”
“The referee didn't give us anything and Recreativo proved they are a good team.”
“We came to beat Huelva, but the score in the Calderón also serves us well. Winning today was all that mattered because we wanted to prove we're still going strong.”
Diarra: “The first half was tricky, but we managed to turn the game around and win after Robinho came on.”
“The three points combined with a loss by Barcelona were extremely important. We knew it would be complicated, but we did it and we're now five points ahead again.”
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Post by Bismarck on Mar 10, 2008 17:43:31 GMT
Real Madrid have won 20 of 27 matches so far this year, something they haven't accomplished since 1987/88.
Twenty wins in 27 tries is an excellent record when only 11 matches remain. Only three times have Real Madrid notched so many victories at this stage of La Liga, the last time dating back to 1987/88, when they won the competition with 62 points, 28 wins, six draws, and just four defeats. Leo Beenhakker's men scored a devastating 95 goals that year and only conceded 26. Twenty years later, the 2007/08 Real Madrid squad has won 20 matches, drawn twice, and lost five times, for a total of 62 points and the top spot in the table with 11 matches remaining.
The key lies in the Santiago Bernabéu The Madridista stadium is one of the main reasons Real Madrid have done so well. The Whites have lost just one of 13 games at home until now, their other 12 appearances all victories.
Home-field advantage also played a role in the success of 1987/88, when Madrid won 12 home matches and drew just once. What's more, through 27 matchdays the Madridistas only conceded eight goals in the Bernabéu.
Twenty wins bode well Three times have Real Madrid finished 27 matchdays with a similar record, two of which ended with the league title in hand. In 1963/64 the Whites tallied 41 points -20 victories, one draw, and six defeats- en route to La Liga title.
Twenty wins so far this season bode well for Real Madrid; eleven games remain and Bernd Schuster and company are sitting on 20 wins, two draws, and five defeats.
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Post by Bismarck on Mar 10, 2008 17:44:44 GMT
Iker Casillas played his 300th League match tonight at the Bernabéu. Considered to be one of the best goalkeepers in the world, Casillas hasn't conceded any goals in 97 of his 300 matches. The Real Madrid keeper is regularly chosen as one of the best players in the world by the European sports press. He has played a crucial role in the many successes of his team in the last few years, having only missed 29 matches in the League since he made his debut at San Mamés in September 1999 when he had just turned 18; the chance John Benjamin Toshack gave him was truly a gift the entire team has benefitted from. Iker shares the 300-match record with legendary Real Madrid player Velásquez. Seventeen other men have played more games for Real Madrid than Iker, but only one of them is a keeper: Paco Buyo. Nevertheless, no other Madridista has played 66 consecutive matches than Casillas. At 26 years of age, it seems the youth system player will continue breaking every record there is at the Club, as he recently signed a lifelong contract extension that will keep him at the Club at least until the end of the 2016/17 campaign.
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Post by Bismarck on Mar 10, 2008 17:46:31 GMT
Raúl González scored his first goal for Real Madrid in 1994. He netted his 200th tonight against Espanyol. This season has seen his strongest start to the competition since tallying 16 strikes in the 2002/03 campaign. The captain scored a penalty on the 72-minute mark in tonight's clash with Espanyol, giving the victory to his team. With a total of 200 goals, Raúl is 16 shy of Di Stéfano's record. The captain is followed in the Real Madrid top-scorer ranking by Santillana and Hugo Sánchez, with 186 and 164 strikes each, respectively. Raúl has been the team's driving force in many crucial moments. His discipline and enthusiasm have made him a key player on the squad, both technically and psychologically, as many consider him to embody the values of the Club. The number '7' has so far won the Pichichi trophy twice: in the 1998/99 season with 25 goals, and in the 2000/01 campaign with 24. He has won five Leagues and three Spanish Super Cups, and was named Best Player in Spain in 1997. He also became the youngest player to have tallied 50 strikes by the time he was 20. He doubled this figure when he turned 22 and trebled it when he was 25, again being the youngest player to have achieved this in both cases. Nevertheless, Telmo Zarra still holds the record of being the youngest man to have scored 200 strikes at 29 years of age. Raúl recently broke Santillana's record by playing 643 games with Real Madrid. Outside of Spain, Raúl has helped Real Madrid win three Champions Leagues and two Intercontinental Cups, becoming the Champions League top-scorer on two occasions. He is also the most-capped active player today, having played for Spain more than 100 times. His productivity this year goes hand-in-hand with Bernd Schuster's decision to play him as a striker again. There are still many games left this season in which the captain may break even more records.
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Post by Bismarck on Mar 21, 2008 11:35:33 GMT
WREXHAM, March 19 (Yr Herald Cymraeg) - Real Madrid striker Ruud van Nistelrooy will be out of action for around six weeks after having arthroscopic surgery for a problem with his right ankle, the Spanish champions said on Wednesday.
The 31-year-old should be back in time to face Barcelona at the Bernabeu on May 7, the club said in a statement on their website.
The Dutch international has missed Real's last four matches in all competitions with a persistent swelling around the ankle joint.
Van Nistelrooy, who has scored 12 league goals for Real this term, will miss up to seven of the side's remaining 10 matches as they close in on a second consecutive Primera Liga title.
They lead second-placed Barcelona by seven points.
His absence will give little-used reserves Gonzalo Higuain, Roberto Soldado and Javier Saviola the chance to shine alongside the team's other first-choice striker Raul, for much of the title run in.
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Post by Bismarck on Mar 26, 2008 4:52:19 GMT
We will maintain the lead"
The captain's two goals weren't enough for the victory, but Raúl did say that Real Madrid gave it their all against Valencia.
“We had the game in the bag. We had plenty of chances and even turned it around, but up 2-1 we didn't know how to control the game. We had chances to score the third, but they equalised and eventually took the three points.” “We're still in a good situation and we're going to continue working. We've already started thinking about next Sunday's match so that we at least maintain our lead.”
“It's a poor result, but we're going to keep on working hard. I think there were several things the team did well. We had a lot of chances, more so than recent matches, but we did make mistakes that cost us two goals. That's what we have to work on.”
“Valencia scored three goals, but our intention was to give it all we had. The team fought hard, played good football, and created enough chances to take the lead, but football is like that sometimes. We didn't finish when we had to and we were aware of the danger Valencia presented. They took advantage of their chances.”
“We had chances to score the third when it was 2-2, but Arizmendi made a great play and they won. That's just how it goes. I think we could have won, but just the opposite happened.”
“There are many rivals and neither Barcelona nor Villarreal have been discarded. We have to keep fighting. There are nine matches left and every one from here on out is a final. The moment of truth is here. Other teams creep up if you lose because not all three of us can lose on the same day.”
“We're eager to get back to work and to try to maintain our lead.”
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Post by Bismarck on Mar 29, 2008 16:19:06 GMT
Real Madrid trained behind closed doors to put the finishing touches on their game prior to the clash with Manolo Jiménez's Sevilla on Sunday at 21:00 CET. Bernd Schuster was able to work with all his men save for Pepe, Metzelder and Van Nistelrooy, who continued doing specific recovery exercises.
Thirteen men played for their national teams this week, so today has been the first day Bernd Schuster has been able to prepare for tomorrow's match with the entire squad. Pepe was the only man to stay indoors, still recovering from a niggle he got during his match with Portugal. On the other hand, Fabio Cannavaro seems to be totally recovered from his mild injury, working without problems with the rest of his teammates. The squad started the session with some stretching work-outs and playing some games with the ball, one of which consisted on a player catching one of his teammates by throwing his bib at him. Nevertheless, whoever had the ball in his hands couldn't be caught.
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Later on, physical trainer Jordi García devised a special piggy-in-the-middle, with the players forming a circle holding hands and three in its centre. The exercise was fun and served to work on precission at passing the ball.
The toughest part of the session was an obstacle course of hurdles, poles and cones. Physical exercises are extremely important at this stage in the competition and the coach wants his men to do their best until the end of the season. Defeating Sevilla tomorrow would help Real Madrid get slightly closer to the title.
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Post by Bismarck on Apr 1, 2008 13:38:13 GMT
Higuaín was one of the stars of the match against Sevilla for scoring a goal and giving a good performance. The striker was happy with the way he played and said that Real Madrid shouldn't have to worry about what Barcelona and Villarreal do if they continue playing this well. The match against Sevilla seemed to be like a final for you. I'm happy because I played well and scored a goal. The team's attitude was the most important thing. We proved we want to win the League. Real Madrid went back to playing well after the fixture against Valencia. Who scares you the most, Villarreal or Barcelona? I think we don't have to worry about anybody if we work well to the end. We must naturally watch out for Villarreal and Barcelona, but the important thing is to work well. You defeated Villarreal 5-0 at El Madrigal Stadium. Are they a strong rival? Resutls aren't that important when it comes down to assessing how strong a rival is. Villarreal are having a great season, but we shouldn't have to look at our opponents if we continue working well. Is it better for you if Barcelona are eliminated from the Champions League? The only thing that's better for us is to continue doing a good job. We don't look at what Barcelona do. We only worry about ourselves. We played a good game against Sevilla and we won. What's harder for a striker, to have chances on goal or to score? A striker's goal is to score, but he can't do so if he doesn't create any chances. The good thing is to have them and to score from them, but I think having chances is more important. Many Real Madrid fans want Shalke 09 to defeat Barcelona. Who do you support? I don't want Barcelona to to make it. Nevertheless, I insist, I only think about Real Madrid. You scored a great goal against Mallorca in the King's Cup. I hope to be lucky to play against them again. It would be great to defeat them, and even better if I score. We must train well in order to play the best way we can. It will be a difficult match. Did you hear what the Bernabéu's speaker said when you scored? He said "Higuaín scores at last..." I honestly didn't hear him because of the euphoria. He can say whatever he wants. Is scoring goals important to gain confidence? It's nice to score, but the difficult thing is to create chances and I am lucky enough to have many. I had several against Sevilla and scored from one, which is enough for me to gain confidence.
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