Real Sociedad 0 – Real Madrid 1, Game Recap – The Sad Efficacy of “Anti-Futbol”

by von Doom

Memo to Montanier – this is La Liga not Serie A.

There is not much to say about last Saturday’s match in Anoeta between Real Madrid and the once-proud Real Sociedad de Futbol de San Sebastian.  It was shameful to watch Sociedad’s French coach, Montanier, make a concession from the outset of the match that the txuri urdin had no chance in hell of beating Real Madrid.  His initial lineup was a cynical 5-3-1-1 that seemed more like an 8-1-1.  As further proof of this mindset, Montanier left three of his best (read offensive) players on the bench at the beginning of the match – Griezmann, Agirretxe, and Pardo.  The strategy was simple – 5 defenders, 3 defensive mids, Xabi Prieto at mediapunta, and Vela as the lone striker.  Clog the box and stifle the passing lanes, a quick clearance and hope for a miracle.  This was not only a disservice to the proud (and rabid) txuri urdin fanbase with a long, glorious footballing tradition, but an insult to one of their greatest homegrown products, Xabi Alonso, who made his name in La Real Sociedad of his father Periko, and now returned home as a merengue.   There was a story in MARCA in the days leading up to the game that Xabi had warned Mou that Real Sociedad always got “up” for Real Madrid’s visits to Anoeta and to expect a tough match.  But what we got was ridiculous.

Xabi + Mou overlooking the bay in San Sebastian. Pimps. Even when rocking the casual gear....

Anyway, what should have been a celebration of football became a boring snoozefest for the greater part of 83 minutes.

Since there was so little action in the game to talk about, I figure we can focus on the two major incidents of note that marked the run of play.   Higuain’s 9^th minute strike to bring the game to 0-1 was a clinical dissection of Montanier’s carefully laid defense.

Pipita dropping a FIFA '12 juke move on Bravo.

In fact, Madrid had already come close to scoring on two other earlier occasions.  After that goal, it seems as if Real Madrid became bored with the whole affair.   Real Madrid’s ball circulation lost the crispness and speed seen in the recent matches while Sociedad’s defense tightened and the game devolved into slogging, dull, catenaccio affair, except with none of grace and looping counterattacks so reminiscent of the Italian style.

The second incident was Griezmann’s cynical studs-up challenge on Sergio Ramos in the 70th minute, that looked so brutal on the replay that if Ramos’s foot were more firmly planted on the pitch, it could have resulted in a career affecting broken leg.

Griezmann = Douchebag. He should have been sent off for this...

The reason I bring this up, is to illustrate more the of the double-standard which seems to be applied to (or rather against) Madrid.  El Maestro and I are of the opinion that if the roles were reversed, the Madrid offender would have been sent off with a red card, game(s) suspension, and a backlash in the media worthy of a mass murderer.   So what did Mr. Griezmann get for his effort ? – a half-hearted yellow card.  Mou, once again, seems to have a point about the referees in Spain.

The Real Madrid players acquitted themselves well notwithstanding the ultra-defensive lineup offered by Montanier.  However, Real Sociedad took advantage of Real Madrid’s boredom and began to press more into the Real Madrid zone beginning with the introduction of Griezmann in the 61^st minute.  He linked up nicely with Xabi Prieto to add some more offensive dimension to the match.  Mourinho sensing the tactical shift (and danger given the tenuous 0-1 scoreline) brought on the by the effect the young Frenchman was having on the txuri urdin attack, brought in Kaka and Khedira in substitution for Ozil and Lass, respectively.   Benzema came in substitution for Higuain in the 81^st minute to no real gain or loss on the Madrid side.

The pace of the game then really picked up in the 84^th minute with the introduction of Agirretxe and later Pardo (in the 87^th) where we finally began to see something reminiscent of an actual football match.  Montanier seemed to realize that Madrid had become bored and listless with the match and that if his boys played their cards right, they may have been able to sneak out of Anoeta with a 1-1 draw.  What followed was 8 minutes of frenetic football worthy of a match between two squads with the history of  Real Sociedad and Real Madrid.   A pity it was a tad too late.  Madrid was able to hang on (albeit a bit frazzled) to a 0-1 victory.  Nothing to write home about, but three points is three points.  With Levante’s choke at Osasuna on Sunday.  Madrid is now alone atop the La Liga standings one point ahead of Farsa with Tuesday’s Champions League clash against Olympique Lyon, for what seems like the millionth time in the last five years.

Plantilla notes:   Ozil vs. Kaka,  Coentrao vs. Marcelo,  Sergio Ramos ¿ lateral o central ?

One particular player note, however.  It is clear to anyone who has been watching Real Madrid the last couple of weeks that Ozil is not at 100%.  He seems a step slow and a bit lethargic compared to his lethal best.  The rhythm was particularly noticeable as Madrid’s circulation of the ball sped up dramatically upon Kaka’s entry into the game in the 64^th minute.  Is it psychological or physical?  Is the competition with Kaka getting to him?   One only knows.  We can only hope it’s just a “funk” that all players go through a long season.  Time will truly tell.

Another note as to Real Madrid players was the Coentrao vs Marcelo competition.  Coentrao acquitted himself very well at left back despite coming off of injury.  Coentrao’s performance will serve as an inducement to Marcelo to keep his game up and this new dimension of competition can only portend good things for the Madrid defense.

Once again, Ramos started at central for the injured Carvalho with Arbeloa taking Ramos’ habitual spot at right back.  There is a raging debate as to whether Ramos is best suited to play as a lateral (back) or a central (center back).  I think if he’s focused and keeps his head in the match, he can play both.  In any case, Ramos is the best central Real Madrid has got at this point.  Don’t believe me?  Well then consider this stat :  with Ramos at central, this Madrid has only conceded one goal all season.

!HALA MADRID!

Real Madrid vs. Villarreal Recap

By El Maestro

 

Real Madrid just keeps getting better and better as the weeks progress. In the last few weeks they have dismantled each and ever one of their opponents with strong intensity, speed, and quickness. This time the opposition was Villarreal who were no match for Mourinho’s men. Real Madrid blew over Villarreal like a hurricane in the first twenty minutes where they went up 2-0 with goals by Benzema and a golazo by Kaka. After that Real Madrid brought down the intensity a little but still continued with its strong attack and just before the half hour mark, they made it 3-0 after a wonderful counter attack. The play was began by Kaka in the Villarreal box and concluded with a Di Maria goal 10 seconds later. With the game on ice Real Madrid began to play more with the ball and reduced the high pressure on Villarreal. In the 2^nd half Madrid continued with that same style and created a few goal opportunities but failed to increase the score line. Villarreal on the other hand came out strong, but never really created any clear goal chances. In all its three points that keeps Real Madrid one point behind Levante in the league table.

 

Key players

 

Defense (Arbeloa, Pepe, Ramos, Marcelo): Second consecutive game without allowing a goal.

 

Xabi: Received a standing ovation when substituted, enough said.

 

Di Maria: An assist, a goal, and finally interacted with the team.

 

Kaka: Man of the Match.

 

Benzema: Scored the first goal and assisted the third.

 

This weekend Real Madrid will travel to San Sebastian to take on Real Sociedad in Anoeta stadium. Although Real Sociedad has struggled this season, Anoeta is one of the toughest stadiums to snatch a victory from and with Madrid in town that environment will be hostile. Lets also not forget that Farsa dropped two points in this stadium conceding two goals in two minutes after being up 0-2. Mourinho will want his players to play the same exact way they have been playing and that that they are well concentrated because in Anoeta no lead is safe. If they do that then it should be a comfortable game for Madrid, but if they don’t then things could get out of hand.

Real Madrid vs. Olympique de Lyon Recap

By El Maestro

 

Real Madrid blew over an Olympique Lyon side that was no match and had no response to their constant attack. Madrid dominated Lyon from top to bottom for the entire 90 minutes of the game and were really fortunate to leave the Bernabeu stadium with a score line of 4-0. Real Madrid went up 1-0 in the 19^th minute after a wonderful corner kick concluded with a Benzema goal. After the goal Madrid kept piling on, but weren’t able to finish their opportunities and went into halftime 1-0. Real Madrid started the 2^nd half strong and scored the second goal they were looking for just two minutes after the restart when a beautiful ball by Marcelo found Benzema who instead of shooting decided to pass the ball to Khedira to score his first official goal as a Real Madrid player. Lyon’s misery got even worse seven minutes later when a simply cross by Ozil turned into an own goal by Hugo Lloris. Real Madrid continued pushing forward and with nine minutes remaining scored the fourth goal of the night after another wonderful corner was brought down coolly by Ramos who calmly blasted it into the back of the net. Lyon never really got going in the game and their only real opportunity was a disallowed goal due to an offside. This was a great performance by the players who shut down Lyon in all areas and took advantage of opportunities to increase the score line.

Key Players

 

Defense (Arbeloa, Pepe, Ramos, Marcelo): Have not conceded a goal in the Champions League.

Khedira: Best game since arriving in Madrid.

Xabi: El Cerebro (The brain).

CR7: Assisted in the first goal and opened up the field.

Benzema: A goal and an assist.

In two weeks Real Madrid will take on Olympique Lyon again this time in the Stade de Gerland. Madrid will have a date with destiny as they have never beaten Lyon on their home turf and will be looking to do so for the first time. In fact since 2005 Madrid is 0-3-1 in the Stade de Gerland with the tie coming just last season when both teams met in the Champions League Round of 16. If Real Madrid comes out victorious they would not just be breaking that curse, but also would extend the point differential by eight points between them and Lyon. Madrid could also automatically seal their qualification for the next round if Dinamo de Zagreb snatches a point from Ajax in Amsterdam. Either way a victory would put Real Madrid within distance of qualification, but first they must figure out how to win in a stadium that has historically made things complicated for them.

Malaga vs. Real Madrid

By El Maestro

 

Real Madrid looked like Vikings against Malaga: They came, destroyed, and went home. The 1^st half was completely dominated by Real Madrid who took the lead in the 11^th minute after a great through ball by Di Maria put Higuain alone with the goalie who simply rounded him to make it 0-1. After that it was CR7 who scored the next three goals to go into halftime 0-4 and put the game almost on ice. Unfortunately, as much as all Madridistas were hoping for more goals, the 2^nd half did not live up to expectations, as Real Madrid seemed to settle for the score line. Malaga created more attacks and deserved at least a goal, but a rock hard defense, Casillas in goal, and the posts allowed Real Madrid to leave La Rosaleda stadium with a clean sheet. Despite the unpleasant 2^nd half, Real Madrid still played 45 minutes of fantastic soccer and rolled over a Malaga side that did not have a response to Madrid’s constant attack. It was also a great performance by the players who when called one stepped up in all-crucial moments of the game. This victory now moves Madrid ahead of Farsa in the league table with their draw against Sevilla, but keeps them in 2^nd place one point behind Levante.

 

Key Players

 

Defense (Arbeloa, Pepe, Ramos, Marcelo): Solid as a rock.

 

Alonso: Why do people fail to mention him?

 

Di Maria: 2 assists, but has to be more of a team player.

 

CR7: Hat trick

 

Kaka: Keeps getting better and better.

 

Higuain: 7 goals in three games.

 

In midweek Real Madrid will take on Villarreal in the Santiago Bernabeu, who come off a crushing loss at home to Levante. Madrid has been on a four game winning streak since drawing against Racing de Santander last month and look to continue that against the yellow submarines. Villarreal on the other hand have struggled this season only winning one out of the eight games played in La Liga and question are starting to linger about head coach Juan Carlos Garrido’s continuation at the club. Although some people think this will be a simple task, Villarreal will not go without a fight and even Mourinho once said the worst time to face an opponent is when they’re down. Lets also not forget this team gave Real Madrid a run for their money last year in the same exact stadium when they outplayed them in the 1^st half, but lost 4-2 after an outstanding 2^nd half by Mourinho’s men. Villarreal will not be an easy opponent, but if Real Madrid plays the same way they have been playing then it should be a comfortable victory for los blancos.

Real Madrid vs. Betis Recap

By El Maestro & El Malcriado

 

Brilliant performance by Real Madrid who keep improving week after week and continue their climb up the league table. The 1^st half was more of a two-sided affair with Betis having more possession of the ball to start off the game, but not really creating any clear goal chances. Real Madrid finally began to break through after the 15^th minute but that final touch let them down. The 2^nd half got off to a dream start for Madrid when a beautiful ball by Marcelo put CR7 in a one on one who, instead of shooting, passed it to Higuain and with a simple tap in made it 1-0. Real Madrid then took full control of the game and later made it 2-0 after a magnificent goal by Kaka. Not even a Betis goal to lower the deficit could stop Madrid who responded by going up 3-1 just one minute later after beautiful pass by Di Maria found Higuain alone with the goalie who rounded him to put it into the back of the net. When it looked like things wouldn’t get any worse for Betis, Di Maria and Higuain linked up again to make it 4-1 after a marvelous chip by Pipita over the goalkeeper. I still wonder how Higuain stayed with Real Madrid this summer, but some how in the past three weeks he has blown up like an atomic bomb and is making his case for a starting position. Another player who was questioned this summer was Kaka who, despite his critics, keeps improving and is ever closer to that Kaka we all knew in Milan. Overall it was a great team victory for Real Madrid who keep quieting their critics and showed they can continue this run of form even after the international break.

 

 

Starting 11

 

Casillas: Not much to do with today’s performance.          

 

Arbeloa: Never disappoints.

 

Pepe & Ramos: Great partnership though looked sloppy in the goal conceived.

 

Marcelo: Dominant force in defense and attack.

 

Lass: Kept Betis attack in check

 

Alonso: The maestro of the midfield.

 

Kaka: Keeps improving game after game.

 

CR7: Another two assist, more than just a goal scorer.

 

Ozil: Good performance.

 

Higuain: Another hat trick, WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON!

 

Subs

 

Di Maria: Gave two assists.

 

Coentrao: Strong force in the midfield.

 

Altintop: Welcome to La Liga.

 

Next week Real Madrid will travel to Andalucía to take on their next La Liga opponent Malaga. Malaga became well known this summer after breaking the bank in acquiring 9 new signings; including ex-Madridsta Van Nistelrooy and Spanish international and Liga star Santi Cazorla. The man running the show for Malaga is a familiar face for Real Madrid, non other than Manuel Pellegrini. Pellegrini already took on Madrid last year when his Malaga side lost 7-0 in the stadium he once called home.

 

 

Pellegrini made headlines this week while on a radio program commenting once again about his short spell with Real Madrid. In the interview, Pellegrini thrashes Florentino Perez saying if you go against the president you are out and reminding everyone that with him Real Madrid had the best campaign of their history. If by campaign he means La Liga then yes we did have the best Liga of our history ending the 2009/2010 with 96 point and astonishingly finishing in second behind a Farsa side that achieved 99 points. In terms of the season in general we didn’t have the best campaign because we didn’t win a title, which was one of the goals set. We continued our bad luck in the round of 16 in the Champions League getting knocked out by Olympique de Lyon and worst of Madrid didn’t even get to the Round of 16 of la Copa del Rey getting tossed out by Alcorcon (a Second Division B side at the time) and in blown out fashion losing 4-0 in the first leg. It’s possible these comments could come back to bite him because although most of these players played under Pellegrini and surely do respect him, they don’t like the fact that their President was called out and will be looking to defend him.

 

This will be an intriguing matchup as Real Madrid takes on a Malaga side that many expect to finish in the top four this season. It won’t be an easy test for Madrid as Malaga is also coming off it’s own run of form. A Champions League fixture in mid week is also concerning for Madrid as players may arrive a little tired than usual or could pick up an injury, but if they continue the run of form they have been on we could be seeing a similar performance as we saw against Betis.

Let’s Talk About Senorio, Shall We?

by von Doom

Let’s Talk About Señorio

A few weeks ago Real Madrid had their annual Shareholder’s meeting.  Needless to say it was pretty awesome.  The “socios” ratified next year’s budget, which included allocations for the renovations and expansions of the Santiago Bernabeu, among other things.

However, the most notable part of the meeting was a series of statements by the President, Florentino Perez, that set Madridismo worldwide on its head.  Among the highlights.

1. Full Ratification of coach Mourinho against the constant attacks and vilification in the media– going as far as labeling him “the greatest manager in the world” – to a rousing 30 second ovation from the assembly.
2. His defacto annihilation of  the philosophy of  “señorio” in his harsh words to the referees and the federation and his defense of his club and his team from the constant attacks by the so-called “press” in Spain.  (more on that in another post).
3. His passionate defense of Madridismo – basically Florentino took off the suit and put on a Real Madrid home jersey.  It’s about time the old man spoke up.  We are digging this UltraFloren persona and hope it’s here to stay.

So what is “Señorio” anyway?

Señorio is an attitude, an approach for doing things –  roughly translated as:  “gentlemanliness”  “chivalry” or more loosely “class”.    It was first introduced into the lexicon of Madridismo during the first term of Florentino’s presidency by his former right hand, Jorge Valdano.   Valdano’s vision of Madridismo was an extension of old-school Argentinean Menotismo, that is pretty football played by genteel players.  It demanded losing with grace, turning the other cheek, and maintaining a stiff upper lip when you got jobbed by crooked refs.

Enter Mourinho and the Escalation of the Great Propaganda War

500 days ago the great Mourinho entered into this landscape.  However, unlike any manager before him in the history of this great club, he effectively turned the tables on this mechanism that had effectively controlled the workings of the club for the past 15 years.

The first battle in this great war was the battled waged in the front offices of Concha Espina between Mourinho and Valdano.  Valdanismo predicated that Madridismo was subject to this code of behavior, this señorio, this aristocratic air of superiority where el Madrid would lose without emotion, where the team would get jobbed by crooked refs and we were supposed to turn the other cheek and not question anything, where our star players would get harassed and hammered by both opposing players and fans, both on and off the pitch.

The real valores of el Real Madrid :  “Los Vikingos” have no mercy.  We will come into your house and run you over and drop 5 goals on you. 

To a large segment of Madridismo this Valdanismo did not sit well, and contributed to the almost ten year long malaise that haunted el Real Madrid until the arrival of the great Mourinho.  Mourinho, not only noticed this malaise but effectively shattered this way of thinking.   We think that a large part of the reason why Mourinho is worshipped by a staggering segment of Madridismo is because he restored the fundamental core values of el Real Madrid.   Not this effeminate señorio garbage, but the raison d’etre of madridismo.  !Ganar, Ganar, y Ganar!

Señorio was reviled by a lot of madridistas because it steered away from this philosophy – it became too concerned with public relations and its “image”, it became too concerned with how it was perceived and whether people liked them over the only thing that really mattered to the fans.  Winning.

Mourinho came in and turned that on its head.  It was as if he lifted the veil from Florentino’s eyes and made him see what the true essence of madridismo was.  Not that b.s. Valdano “señorio” that turned el Real Madrid into a de-caffeinated version of a team, a team which got blown out 2-6 in the Bernabeu, never got past the second round of Champions, and the ultimate low point – the Alcorconazo in Copa.  Part of Mourinho’s gift as a coach and leader of men is his ability to tap into the DNA of the organization that he leads.   He realized, and quickly, that the DNA of el Real Madrid is quite simple.  Victory.  The battle cry “!Hay que ganar – si o si o si!”

Mourinho realized that Madridistas could care less if some random in Bilbao or Barcelona or Sevilla likes el Madrid.  Who cares?   El Madrid, like the New York Yankees in American baseball, has always been hated, and they will continue to be hated.  Why?  Quite simply because they are, have always been, and will continue to be the best.   It is human nature for those that live under the umbrella to envy and hate those who are superior to them.

Mourinho understands why the madridistas refer to their team as the Vikingos (the Vikings).  Were the Vikings loved?  No.  They were feared.  Did the Vikings play nice?  No.  They came into your house punched you in the mouth and took your possessions.  Similarly, Mourinho’s Supermadrid comes into your pitch and runs at you – fast and hard – and if you, as an opposing team cannot control the pace, this Real Madrid will leave with a 1-5 under their belts while barely breaking a sweat.

LQDM.  !Hala Madrid!

Espanyol vs. Real Madrid Recap

By El Maestro

 

In what ways does Madrid continue to respond? Amazing to think that just a week ago everyone was talking about a crisis and since then Madrid has gone on a three game winning streak scoring a total of 13 goals. This might be their most impressive victory yet since they got it in Carnella El-Prat, which is one of the most complicated stadiums in La Liga. The first half an hour it was Madrid who controlled the game and took the lead in the 17^th minute after a wonderful counter attack positioned Higuain in a one on one situation who calmly put it into the back of the net. The final 15 minutes Espanyol began to break through, but couldn’t equalize the scoreline. The second half was more of a back and forth affair, but it was Higuain with a tremendous golazo who doubled the scoring for Real Madrid. After the goal, Madrid began to take back control and with seven minutes left Callejon made it 3-0 in his return to what he once use to call home. When it looked like the game would end with this result, a defensive mistake allowed Pipita to make it 4-0 and get his hat trick. Great win for Real Madrid who managed to take advantage of their opportunities in attack and keep a clean sheet in the back. This only critic of the game was probably the midfield, which despite playing well looked slow in distributing at times. Otherwise, excellent performance by the players who keep improving game by game.

 

Starting 11

 

Casillas: Made a good save towards the end of the game.

 

Arbeloa: Does what he is asked of.

 

Albiol: Impressive performance.

 

Ramos: Better at center back than right back.

 

Marcelo: Strong in attack and in defense.

 

Lass: This is his type of game.

 

Xabi: The brains of the midfield.

 

Kaka: He’s coming back!

 

Ronaldo: 2 assists, and yet they say he’s selfish.

 

Ozil: Not the best game, but he will recover.

 

Higuain: 3 out of 3, man of the match.

 

Subs

 

Khedira: Kept the midfield under control.

 

Callejon: A goal and a good performance.

 

Granero: Came in for the final four minutes.

 

La Liga is now put on hold for two weeks as players’ head out with their countries on international duties. When La Liga kicks ups again, Real Madrid will host Betis who come off a crushing lose to Levante and saw how their 1^st place position in the league table was overtaken. Although they will arrive bleeding, Betis will be looking to heal their wounds by pulling the upset in the Bernabeu. The two-week layoff also gives Betis an extra sense of motivation knowing that Real Madrid tend to struggle after the international break. Mourinho will be hoping his players’ return with no major injuries and that the players who were not called are ready to play if presented with the opportunity. A victory would make them provisional leaders and put added pressure on co leaders Farsa & Levante who play later on. When the team reunites, Mou will have less than three days to prepare and will need them to quickly get back into the form they were when they left. Betis has been the surprise team up to this point in La Liga and will not be an easy oppenent, but if Madrid plays the way they have been playing then it should a comfortable victory.

Real Madrid vs. Ajax Recap

By El Maestro

 

Best game of the season up to this point. Fluid passing, strong defense, and a magnificent counter attack gave Real Madrid the 3-0 victory over Dutch side. Despite the win, the game almost started the same as on Saturday when an early Ajax attack ended up with a dangerous shot on goal, which was contained by Casillas, 57 seconds in. The first 15 minutes were very shaky for Madrid as they struggled to break through an Ajax team that came out fighting. The trajectory of the game changed in the 25^th minute when CR7 scored one of the best team goals you will ever see in world soccer.

The play starts with Ramos who passes the ball to Ozil. Ozil dribbles the ball up four times before passing it to CR7 and that’s where the one touch beauty begins. A give and go between CR7 and Kaka concludes with a pass to Ozil who opens the play out wide to Benzema. Benzema makes a magisterial pass to the middle, which finds CR7, and with all his power clobbers it into the back of the net. This goal should not just be considered for best goal in this year’s addition of the Champions League, but also as one of the all time greats.

After the goal Real Madrid began to take control of the game creating numerous opportunities, but were unlucky in finishing. Just when it looked like Ajax was going to enter the halftime break down 1-0, a brilliant shot by Kaka with four minutes left made it 2-0. Real Madrid continued with its usual attack and put the game out of reach in the 49^th minute when another dazzling team combination led to the third goal of the night by Benzema. Despite losing 3-0, Ajax continued fighting and created quite a few dangerous opportunities but were unable to break through Casillas. Overall it was a great performance by the players who showed after a week of turmoil they could get right back up after being punched in the mouth.

Starting 11

 

Casillas: Made a lot of important saves.

 

Ramos: Began the counter attack that led to the first goal.

 

Varane: 18 yet plays like he is 28.

 

Carvalho: Made a good partnership with Varane.

 

Arbeloa: Can play anywhere in defense.

 

Khedira: Kept the midfield under control.

 

Xabi: Ran 12 kilometers (8 miles), enough said.

 

Kaka: Best game since signing for Real Madrid.

 

Ronaldo: Is truly a machine.

 

Ozil: Big game and played a big role in that first goal.

 

Benzema: Benzecrack.

 

Subs

 

Di Maria: Not a big splash.

 

Higuain: Needs to relax.

 

Altintop: POR FIN DEBUTO!

Real Madrid’s next Champions League game will be a rematch of last year round of 16 game against Olympique de Lyon in the Santiago Bernabeu. A victory for Madrid could see the gap between 1^st and 2^nd place further by five points, which would be taking another big step towards qualification and securing the first place position. Although this not the same Lyon side from six years ago, they a dangerous team that will be looking to pull the upset. This could be a game that determines the course of the group moving forward.