Wednesday, 12 February 2014
Thursday, 6 February 2014
Real Madrid 3-0 Atletico Madrid: Hosts stride towards Copa final
Deflected strikes from Pepe and Angel Di Maria alongside Jese's second-half effort have put Carlo Ancelotti's men in a commanding position
Real Madrid avenged last season's Copa del Rey defeat to city rivals Atletico by beating them 3-0 to put one foot in this year's final.
Atletico came into the encounter full of confidence after going three points clear at the top of the Liga table at the weekend, but they were no match for their neighbours in Wednesday's semi-final first leg.
It did not take Real long to forge ahead, as Pepe's effort struck Emiliano Insua and flew past Thibaut Courtois after 17 minutes, delighting the home fans.
Pepe endured a bruising duel with Atletico's Diego Costa throughout the first half, but the defender came out on top and Real doubled their lead in the second half when Jese Rodriguez placed a clever finish under the goalkeeper.
The hosts wrapped up the win and went a long way to securing their final berth as Angel Di Maria saw his long-range effort deflect off Miranda before beating Courtois with 17 minutes left.
Defeat for Atletico ended their unbeaten run in all competitions at 23 matches, while Real have now not lost for the same number of games.
Despite being declared fit on Tuesday, Gareth Bale missed out for the hosts with a calf strain, while Atletico were unable to call upon David Villa – suffering from a hamstring problem.
Diego Simeone’s men looked nervous at the back in the opening stages, but the match’s first opportunity fell to them as Arda Turan met Juanfran’s cross near the penalty spot, only for Iker Casillas to parry the Turk's header away.
Real made the most of that let-off as Pepe helped to open the scoring in the 17th minute, the Portugal international’s shot from 25 yards taking a wicked deflection off Insua before flying past the helpless Courtois.
After a hotly contested first half-hour, Atletico's Belgian goalkeeper then denied Real a second goal twice in quick succession in the 32nd minute. First, Jese cut in from the left and stung Courtois' palms with a driven effort, before Luka Modric hit a volley straight at him from the edge of the area.
Carlo Ancelotti's men exerted some pressure again at the start of the second half and Cristiano Ronaldo tried his luck after running at Juanfran, but his low shot was saved by Courtois, who continued to keep Atletico in the contest.
The shot-stopper's luck ran out eventually, however. Di Maria's delicate pass with the outside of his left foot dissected the visitors' defence with 57 minutes played and Jese squeezed the ball under the goalkeeper with a deft flick.
Di Maria was involved again in Real's next attack, as his 30-yard effort was saved nervously by Courtois, before a tackle from the Argentinian drew a petulant reaction from Costa, earning the forward a yellow card - which rules him out of the second leg.
Real completed the victory in the 73rd minute as Miranda deflected Di Maria's 30-yard strike past Courtois, putting last year's runners-up a giant step closer to sealing a final place.
Atletico came into the encounter full of confidence after going three points clear at the top of the Liga table at the weekend, but they were no match for their neighbours in Wednesday's semi-final first leg.
It did not take Real long to forge ahead, as Pepe's effort struck Emiliano Insua and flew past Thibaut Courtois after 17 minutes, delighting the home fans.
Pepe endured a bruising duel with Atletico's Diego Costa throughout the first half, but the defender came out on top and Real doubled their lead in the second half when Jese Rodriguez placed a clever finish under the goalkeeper.
The hosts wrapped up the win and went a long way to securing their final berth as Angel Di Maria saw his long-range effort deflect off Miranda before beating Courtois with 17 minutes left.
Defeat for Atletico ended their unbeaten run in all competitions at 23 matches, while Real have now not lost for the same number of games.
Despite being declared fit on Tuesday, Gareth Bale missed out for the hosts with a calf strain, while Atletico were unable to call upon David Villa – suffering from a hamstring problem.
Diego Simeone’s men looked nervous at the back in the opening stages, but the match’s first opportunity fell to them as Arda Turan met Juanfran’s cross near the penalty spot, only for Iker Casillas to parry the Turk's header away.
Real made the most of that let-off as Pepe helped to open the scoring in the 17th minute, the Portugal international’s shot from 25 yards taking a wicked deflection off Insua before flying past the helpless Courtois.
After a hotly contested first half-hour, Atletico's Belgian goalkeeper then denied Real a second goal twice in quick succession in the 32nd minute. First, Jese cut in from the left and stung Courtois' palms with a driven effort, before Luka Modric hit a volley straight at him from the edge of the area.
Carlo Ancelotti's men exerted some pressure again at the start of the second half and Cristiano Ronaldo tried his luck after running at Juanfran, but his low shot was saved by Courtois, who continued to keep Atletico in the contest.
The shot-stopper's luck ran out eventually, however. Di Maria's delicate pass with the outside of his left foot dissected the visitors' defence with 57 minutes played and Jese squeezed the ball under the goalkeeper with a deft flick.
Di Maria was involved again in Real's next attack, as his 30-yard effort was saved nervously by Courtois, before a tackle from the Argentinian drew a petulant reaction from Costa, earning the forward a yellow card - which rules him out of the second leg.
Real completed the victory in the 73rd minute as Miranda deflected Di Maria's 30-yard strike past Courtois, putting last year's runners-up a giant step closer to sealing a final place.
Wednesday, 5 February 2014
Cristiano Ronaldo handed three-game ban
The Portugal international will miss three matches following his dismissal at the weekend, but will be available for Wednesday's Copa del Rey game against Atletico Madrid
The Spanish Football Association (RFEF) has handed Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo a three-game ban following his red card against Athletic Bilbao.
The Portugal international - who celebrates his 29th birthday on Wednesday - received his marching orders in the 76th minute of Sunday's Liga encounter after an altercation with Athletic's Ander Iturraspe and Carlos Gurpegui.
Ronaldo consequently risked a suspension that could cover anything from one game to in excess of three and the RFEF has now opted to keep him out of action for three matches.
The forward was slapped with a one-game ban for the incident with Iturraspe, while getting an additional two games for his offensive gesture after his dismissal.
He will miss the Liga games at home against Villarreal (February 9) and Elche (February 23) as well as the away match versus Getafe (February 16).
However, Ronaldo will be available for both legs of the Copa del Rey semi-final tie against Atletico Madrid, with the first leg taking place at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday.
Tuesday, 4 February 2014
Wednesday, 29 January 2014
Sunday, 26 January 2014
Real Madrid 2-0 Granada: Ronaldo & Benzema break Blancos record
The capital-based club had never won seven consecutive competitive matches without conceding until Saturday, as the attackers' goals sent them top of the table
Real Madrid won seven consecutive competitive matches without conceding for the first time in their history thanks to their 2-0 win over Granada on Saturday.
Cristiano Ronaldo struck his 14th league goal in his last 10 appearances just before the hour and Karim Benzema made sure with 15 minutes remaining.
Thed victory opens up a two point-gap over rivals Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, who have a game in hand, at the top of La Liga.
The hosts struggled to find a way past Ricardo in the Granada goal in the first half with Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos and Benzema all wasting good openings.
Ronaldo's 22nd league goal of the season broke the deadlock after the break, much to the relief of the crowd, with Benzema converting from a Marcelo pass to seal the points, although the victory was overshadowed by an injury to Gareth Bale that saw him substituted at half-time.
Granada failed to force a save out of Diego Lopez and their two-game unbeaten run comes to an end, with Lucas Alcaraz's side remaining in 10th place.
Carlo Ancelotti named the same side for a third consecutive league fixture, with Angel Di Maria starting ahead of Isco, while the visitors made a single change as Mohammed Fatau replaced Fran Rico in midfield.
Ronaldo had the first opportunity for Madrid in the sixth minute, the Portugal international making something out of nothing as he cut in from the left but skewed his shot wide after beating two defenders.
Ramos went even closer five minutes later as the defender rose to meet a Bale delivery, but the centre-back headed over from close range.
Granada were doing a good job of restricting their opponents and Madrid had to rely on set pieces to threaten.
The hosts had the ball in the back of the next just before the half-hour mark as Benzema turned in a knock-down from Ramos, but the French striker was flagged offside and the goal was ruled out.
Ronaldo was denied on the stroke of half-time as his overhead kick from seven yards was brilliantly kept out by Ricardo.
Luka Modric and Benzema both wasted chances early in the second half, but in the 56th minuteRonaldo finally broke the deadlock.
The forward receiving a pass from Modric inside the penalty area, he was allowed to turn and fired low beyond Ricardo to relieve the pressure inside the Santiago Bernabeu.
And, after Ronaldo had seen a free kick hit the crossbar, Madrid doubled their lead in the 75th minute, Marcelo squaring a pass to Benzema to turn home from close range.
Cristiano Ronaldo: “It was a special day as we won and I could show the Ballon d’Or to the fans”
“We are in a good patch, I feel good and I want to carry on like this until the end of the season”, added the Real Madrid forward
Real Madrid won at Granada’s ground in a very special match for Cristiano Ronaldo, who celebrated with the fans the Ballon d’Or which he won on 13 January in Zurich. “It was a very special day. Because of everything that has happened and because I could show the Ballon d’Or to the fans. Throughout the year they have really helped to win it. It was a great afternoon and we also won. We will have a good night as leaders and tomorrow we will see what the other teams do,” he said. He also talked about the team’s good run of form: “We are in a good patch. We are playing well, I am playing well and I want to carry on like this until the end of the season”.
On the matter of celebrating the prize and the first photo which included Agustín Herrerín, the ground manager, he said: “Agustín is a gentleman who has been at Madrid for many years and for me it is an honour to have my photo taken with him. He was a little bit embarrassed. It was a nice moment. The Ballon d’Or is not just mine. It belongs to all the fans and everyone who has supported the team throughout the year. It was something Agustín really deserved, who is one of the family and who also symbolizes the dedication of the trophy to everyone who works at the club for having won the Ballon d’Or”.
The forward scored the first goal of the match, and said: “It was an important goal. It opened the scoring and calmed us down”. On the question of the overhead kick which ended the first half and nearly led to a goal he said: “It was bad luck. The keeper was just where the ball went. If he was a little bit further out he would not have seen the ball. But these things happen. It could have been one of the best goals of my career but I scored another and so it does not matter. I am happy”. On the matter of the move which led to the goal and the Granada player who was down injured he said: “I don’t know what happened. I was celebrating the goal. I didn’t realise, I didn’t see anything”.
The team has a perfect record in 2014 with seven wins in seven matches and has not conceded a single goal: "We are playing well, and we feel confident. We have to improve in some areas, but it was a great match. The team looks good; we are getting better all the time. Towards the end of the season I am convinced that things will keep getting better”.
On the subject of Falcao’s injury he said: “It is bad news for the world of football. He is a friend and I am sad for him. I am sure that things will go well for him. He has been operated on by great Portuguese doctor and I am sure that he will recover sooner”. Finally, he spoke about the change of president at Barcelona: “I don’t have anything to say about that. I only care about what is happening at my club. Other people’s clubs don’t matter to me”.
Saturday, 25 January 2014
Thursday, 23 January 2014
Cristiano Ronaldo: “Ancelotti talks to me a lot and I’m thrilled to work with him”
“I’ve always considered myself a professional. I believe that I’ll be the best on the pitch if I work hard and have more ambition”, said the forward in an interview with France Football
Cristiano Ronaldo gave an interview to France Football magazine after being awarded the Ballon d’Or on 13 January at the awards ceremony in Zurich. The Portuguese striker is still ambitious and is excited to win more titles with Real Madrid this year: “The team has a lot of confidence in itself this year. On the pitch there aren’t many differences between last year’s team because Ancelotti has done a good job. He’s a good person, a great coach, he talks to me a lot and I’m thrilled to work with him. I feel really good with Real Madrid and, frankly, anything is possible this season”.
After receiving the award that recognises the striker as the best player in 2013, Cristiano Ronaldo said: “I’m more relaxed, but that doesn’t mean that I’m going to stop working to improve. Every year is a different story; I’m not going to rest on my laurels. I always want to be the best, both with Real Madrid and Portugal”. Cristiano Ronaldo was handed the trophy by Pelé, which made receiving the award that much more significant. “It’s always special to receive such an important trophy and even more so from the hands of a leader in world football. It was a privilege; I admire Pelé”.The Real Madrid player wanted to highlight the importance of teamwork and all of his teammates: “I want to win every day, but that’s not always possible. That’s why my teammates are important, because without them I wouldn’t have been able to be at the level of recent years”.
Real Madrid’s number seven described the moment that he received the award. “It was very emotional, especially when my happy son came to hug me. That unleashed all of my feelings and I started to cry. And when I saw my family’s tears I started crying even harder. They were honest, real tears. Frankly, I wasn’t expecting it and I was really happy at that moment. It must have been a big surprise for people who don’t know me to see me cry like that, because I always look serious on the pitch. Those that share my life with me know that I’m a natural and spontaneous person”.Cristiano Ronaldo also spoke about how it felt to hear his name announced as the winner:“When you don’t know if you’re going to win you feel moments of tension, and all that huge weight is taken off of you when you hear your name called. It’s like something that leaves your body”.
Some of the coaches that Cristiano Ronaldo has worked with, like Alex Ferguson and Carlo Ancelotti, have defined the player as a hard worker. “I believe that I’ll be the best on the pitch if I work hard and have more ambition. Throughout my career I’ve always considered myself a professional. I’ve learned a lot from other players like Raúl, Michel Salgado, Gary Neville, Ryan Giggs, Figo, Rui Costa…” When asked about the competition with players like Messi in La Liga, Cristiano Ronaldo replied: “Of course, competition helps you to improve. But not just with Messi, with other top players whom I’ve played with in the Premier League and other competitions, like Luis Suárez, Iniesta, Neymar, Bale, Diego Costa and Falcao. If the level of the game rises, so does mine”.
Real Madrid’s number seven described the moment that he received the award. “It was very emotional, especially when my happy son came to hug me. That unleashed all of my feelings and I started to cry. And when I saw my family’s tears I started crying even harder. They were honest, real tears. Frankly, I wasn’t expecting it and I was really happy at that moment. It must have been a big surprise for people who don’t know me to see me cry like that, because I always look serious on the pitch. Those that share my life with me know that I’m a natural and spontaneous person”.Cristiano Ronaldo also spoke about how it felt to hear his name announced as the winner:“When you don’t know if you’re going to win you feel moments of tension, and all that huge weight is taken off of you when you hear your name called. It’s like something that leaves your body”.
Some of the coaches that Cristiano Ronaldo has worked with, like Alex Ferguson and Carlo Ancelotti, have defined the player as a hard worker. “I believe that I’ll be the best on the pitch if I work hard and have more ambition. Throughout my career I’ve always considered myself a professional. I’ve learned a lot from other players like Raúl, Michel Salgado, Gary Neville, Ryan Giggs, Figo, Rui Costa…” When asked about the competition with players like Messi in La Liga, Cristiano Ronaldo replied: “Of course, competition helps you to improve. But not just with Messi, with other top players whom I’ve played with in the Premier League and other competitions, like Luis Suárez, Iniesta, Neymar, Bale, Diego Costa and Falcao. If the level of the game rises, so does mine”.
Wednesday, 22 January 2014
Espanyol 0-1 Real Madrid: Benzema gives los Blancos first-leg lead
The visitors were the better side from start to finish and a solitary strike from the France striker was their reward
Karim Benzema scored the only goal of the game to give Real Madrid a 1-0 win over Espanyol in the first-leg of their Copa del Rey quarter-final.
France striker Benzema scored what proved to be the crucial goal after 25 minutes, but Carlo Ancelotti's men will be disappointed not to have secured a healthier advantage after spurning a number of excellent chances.
Espanyol created the first clear-cut opportunity after 18 minutes as Portuguese attacker Pizzi blazed over the bar from close range.
That near-miss appeared to spark Madrid into life, and three minutes later Cristiano Ronaldo turned brilliantly on the edge of the area, only to see his low shot hit the post.
The visitors did take the lead shortly after, as Benzema found the back of the net with a diving header after Gareth Bale had flicked Alvaro Arbeloa's right-wing cross into his path.
The visitors could have pulled clear before the interval, but both Benzema and Bale were denied by strong saves from Espanyol keeper Kiko Casilla.
Espanyol started the second half brightly and almost levelled after 54 minutes with a fine curling effort from forward Sergio Garcia.
However, los Blancos would have put the tie beyond doubt if not for the brilliance of Casilla, who raced off his line to thwart Angel Di Maria following a fine ball from Marcelo, before also preventing Arbeloa and Benzema from finding a second.
For all of the visitors' dominance, the visitors were grateful to goalkeeper Iker Casillas for preserving their lead.
The Spain international produced an excellent one-on-one save to keep out a strike from substitute Jhon Cordoba six minutes from the end, on a night when the 32-year-old broke his own record for minutes played without conceding a goal, which now stands at 592.
Madrid host the second leg at the Bernabeu next Tuesday.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)