CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Zenit St Petersburg 1 Real Madrid 2

30th September 2008

The Champions League encounter between Real Madrid and Zenit St Petersburg ended in a win for los merengues. In the end Madrid did well to hang on as Zenit were unlucky not to get any points from this game. The line up did not feature Raul who sat out the whole of this game.

Madrid started the game strongly and scored in the 3rd minute through an own goal. Rafael Van der Vaart crossed into the six yard box and Hubocan could only deflect the ball into his own net. The home team seemed asleep and the first ten minutes saw Madrid play flowing football which should have resulted in more goals. Zenit eventually came back into the game and after some near misses equalised on 24 minutes through Danny. Andrei Arshavin crossed from the left hand side and Danny volleyed in the equaliser. It only took 6 minutes for the away team to restore their lead after a deflected ball fell to the one person Zenit probably feared the most, Ruud van Nistelrooy. The Dutchman controlled the ball and made no mistake in placing the ball perfectly to the keeper’s left, 1-2. The first half came to a close with both teams playing open and attacking football.

The game resumed and both teams had chances but the Russians were the more dangerous of the two. On the break Madrid did have some chances but were unable to score any further goals. At times the Madrid defence was overrun and Casillas had to make some interventions. Ramos on the right hand side found it difficult to contain the Russians but was lacking in support from the midfield which made his job harder. Schuster brought on Javi Garcia to stabilise matters but the Russians at times were rampant. Zenit kept pressing and Andrei Arshavin was inches away from scoring after his effort hit the post with 10 minutes to go. You had the feeling it wasnt going to be Zenit’s night and it wasnt when the whistle blew to end the game. Real Madrid won but Zenit will feel aggrieved they didnt get any points from this game after all their pressure.

Thoughts

Ruud van Nistelrooy is probably the best finisher in the game today. Without him Madrid wouldnt be anywhere near as effective. He can be quiet in games but give him the ball in a dangerous position and 9 times out of 10 he will score.

Madrid were overrun for large parts of this game and especially in the second half. They found it difficult to hold possesion which resulted in giving Zenit the initiative. If it wasnt for better finishing or a kinder bounce of the ball, they would have scored more than just the solitary goal.

Juve’s draw away to Bate is a good result. There is still a long way to go with some important matches ahead but Madrid are in a good position. 6 points from 2 games is an excelllent position to be in. I have a hunch Zenit will still qualify from this group.

 

PREVIEW: Zenit St Petersburg v Real Madrid

30th September 2008

Real Madrid face a difficult away game against Zenit St Petersburg in the 2nd match of the first group stage of the Champions League. It’s never easy going to Russia as the conditions can be harsh but apparently the forecast is for 8-10 centigrade. This is a crucial game for both teams. Madrid want to maintain their progress in this difficult group after beating Bate while Zenit lost their first encounter against Juventus.

Schuster didnt impress in Europe last season and it has been some time since Madrid last reached the quarter final stages of this competition. Personally Im not sure we have a team capable of taking on the best. Having said that, which Real Madrid fan can forget the 2000 season when we took the holders (Man Utd) apart on the way to winning it against Bayer Leverkusen in Glasgow. You have to have hope but maybe its wishful thinking on my part.

Zenit St Petersburg are a decent side as they have shown of late. With Andrei Arshavin, they have an excellent player who can easily change the outcome of a game. Schuster will bring Cannavaro back to the line up after his absence from the Betis game and Pepe will also be there. The Portuguese defender has so far played more minutes than any other player this season.

It will be a difficult match and a draw wouldnt be a bad result. A win would be great but Zenit are a good side so defensive solidity will be important. It will be interesting to see Schuster’s line up as Raul is likely to feature. Raul has been under a lot of pressure recently so he needs a good performance or some goals at the very least. Schuster will have options on the bench which is encouraging if Madrid have to chase the game. After this game there are back to back matches agaisnt Juventus which will go a long way to deciding the outcome of the group.

Please note, this game is taking place 2 hours earlier than normal.

 

LEAGUE: Betis 1 Real Madrid 2

27 September 2008

An efficient performance by Real Madrid in gaining 3 points away to Betis on Saturday. The game looked to be heading for a draw when in injury time, Ruud Van Nistelrooy earned the victory with a cool finish.

Madrid actually started the game well in the first half well and on 18 minutes Gabriel Heinze scored from a Van der Vaart free kick. The second half was another matter. Betis came out with all guns blazing and upped the pace of the game considerably. Their pressure led to a penalty which looked generous and resulted in a red card for Marcelo. Sergio Garcia needed two attempts to score after Iker Casillas saved his first effort. Betis continued to put pressure on Madrid. Schuster turned to his subs (Javi Garcia, Miguel Torres and Drenthe) to swing the balance of play and the game eventually opened up with Madrid threatening the Betis goal on a few occasions.

On 81 minutes Drenthe was involved in an incident which led to the expulsion of Sergio Garcia. Through on goal he was impeded and the ref handed out a second yellow to the Betis player. Robben was involved throughout the game but it wasn’t one of his better performances. At times he can hold on to possession for far too long. His compatriot Van der Vaart had a quiet game after his great midweek performance against Sporting Gijon. The game looked to be heading for a draw when Ruud found himself with lots of space to claim the winner.

Thoughts

- Efficient performance but not spectacular. We need to improve but lets not forget that a strong first half of the season last year went a long way to winning us the title. Ideally I would want us to keep possession better.

- Diarra had another good game and he may well go on to emulate Makelele who was a pivotal part of our team during his time at the club… bold statement of course so lets see how it unfolds.

- Schuster not afraid to use the kids and like last season he is probably going to rotate a lot. Good policy to keep the players on their toes in my opinion.