Real Madrid Vs Liverpool (post match review)

Posted by Paulo Martin,Spain

BACK TO THE CRUEL REALITY

Real Madrid returned to cruel reality. Europe rejects us.We are on the verge of yet another early elimination from the champions league, the teams favorite competition, a team that came out of the Liverpool clash hurt and wounded mentally. The optimistic signs from our last few matches vanished in a heartbeat. Real Madrid didn't play well, and it didn't have its recent epic heroic attitude either. We were overcome by our adversary that was correct and played by the book: they were well positioned, they played with serenity and waited for there moment. They had a plan. Real Madrid didn't.

 

The insulting superiority of Xabi Alonso & Mascherano in the midfield was decisive. Each one in his element, they played with authority, the authority that Gago and Lass lacked. Liverpool's advantage in that department was obvious, but Juande Ramos failed to see it. After half time he changed Marcelo for Guti and he never looked to the bench again. The team needed something else, an intrepid moment, an epic heroic moment, anything that would change the dynamic of the match. But nothing. Real Madrid continued the same, which was in mediocrity, doing nothing.

 

Nobody after the match felt that they had seen a great brilliant Liverpool, in fact at times it felt like Liverpool were only playing at 60% of there capacity. They done what they set out to do, without any brilliance or showing off, with hard work and the firm conviction that they would get a result, the conviction that Real Madrid lacked. It was a professional job, without Gerrard in the team and with a defisient Torres who was clearly not pysically fit to keep playing. All those circumstances add more motives to be worried for Real Madrid. The loss was poor, the play was dishearting. The possibility of yet another early elimination in 1/8 looks close. It look slike we are only capable of competing at a domestic level and nothing more.

 

A CLASSIC

The Bernabeu looked fantastic with a full house, a typical european night game. Two classic teams that faced each other for the first time in Madrid. All the ingredients were there for an intense european classic. The reality however was totally different. Liverpool closed down the match and cooled the game off, the Bernabeu seemed to be mesmerized by this and slowly feel into the same trap as the team did and wasnt the Bernabeu that the team and everyone else expected. The fans were almost silent all match and the atmosphere of yesteryears was sorely missed. They seemed locked in melacholy and quickly realised that the team had no real chance. The defensive work by Liverpool was very efficient. Nobody comitted any errors, they were very comfortable, so comfortable that Reina seemed to have a very easy night. The only real threat for him all night was a long range shot by Robben. That was pretty much all of Real Madrid`s offensive display yesterday night. The team nearly entered Liverpool`s box. But thats very hard to do when you dont have a player to feed balls to the strikers. The only thing left was the epic herioic victory. Sometimes there isnt anything you can do except try for the epic heroic win. But that didnt happen either. The team was riggid  and stuck and it needed something to break that state. But we didnt find anything to do that. We were a bland team from the get go.

 

It was surprising to see Juande Ramos`s defensive side. Especially in a match which was the most important of all since his arrival. A match that could have made of broke his career at the club. If Real Madrid is finally knocked out of europe in the 1/8 finals then he`ll have no chance of staying on as manager next year. He kept Heinze on despite the objections of the fans, he persisted with the Lass and Gago tandem in the midfield when they didnt offer any rigor defensively nor offensively. Its one or the other. Neither of them offer what the team needs in the midfield and least of all in europe. Just like the fans the manager also was infected by a certain air of melancholy.

 

The match was ran by Xabi Alonso and Mascherano. One beacuse he plays like all great center midfielders and dominates all aspects of hid craft. The other is like a human vacum that sucks up all the lost balls and wins all the challenges. They left no doubt over there superiority and authority in the match. Xabi Alonso played like someone who is clearly at the top of his game and in the prime of his career. He consegrated his epic game with a magnificent 55 yard shot that came very close to surprising Casillas. The keeper had to pull off a wonder save to what would have been the goal of the season in the champions league. Only Casillas and Pepe were there usual selves. One making epic saves and the other putting out fires all over the back line and keeping a weak Torres in his pocket all game. Both areas seemed vetoed by the defenders and Raul and Higuain passed almost testimonially in the game. Robben was below par and only offered a few sparks of greatness but he never shwed real conviction in what he was doing.

 

INFURIATING

The fans were infuriated int he second half. And they ended up being more infuriated when Liverpool scored. Heinze commited an unnesiseray foul near the edge of the box.
Benayoun, who was alone and has never been a good headerer of the ball or good in the air anticipated himself and scored the only goal of the night. The markings in the corner were not clear and Higuain and Gago were left confused and not marking anyone. A big error for two of the clubs young stars. There was almost 10 minutes left.The English fans erupted in estacy after tha goal. The Fondo Sur where the Ultra Sur are acomodated started misbehaving as always and had various incidents with the clubs security and with one another fighting between each other. The Ultra Sur who the ex president Calderon defended on many ocassions and still inexplicably allowed to enter the club and are still reciving preferential treatment by Boluda. The police had to intervine and more fights broke out but luckly it didnt not escelate more and from then on nobody payed much more attention to the game. There was nothing else to see or tell. Real Madrid had once again sunk in europe.