CL Day 3: AEK Athens v RMCF, 2 Oct [R]

[HalaMadrid]

Wednesday match.

If we don't score 3 on Mauricio F***ing Wright, I'm going to slit my wrists.

[dmar]

I foresee an ugly match... hope I'm wrong.

[MadridForever]

I'm with you dmar. A game against a "weak" team, with the team almost classified, maybe can be some relaxation ...

The young central defender Ruben have traveled for Hierro that has not traveled to greek for tecnical decision. I think that Del Bosque will give rest hierro many times this year to reserve him to the more important games.

Possible team:
---------------------------------------Cesar
Salgado-----------Helguera----Pavon-----------Roberto Carlos
Figo------------Cambiasso----Makelele----------Zidane
-------------------------------Guti-----------Raul

This is the ideal team, but maybe Del Bosque decide to give rest to some key players, and Solari could play for Zidane, Macca for Figo and maybe even Raul Bravo for Roberto Carlos.

We will see what happen.

[dmar]

Well, there were some relaxation indeed, mainly in our side, but the game wasn't boring at all...

Good performances: Guti, with a great goal, Zidane with another couple and Cambiasso.

Bad performances: the back line for scoring 3 goals in just 3 chances of the greek side, Makelele for the same reason and losing a lot of balls.

Complaint to del Bosque: should have done substitutions earlier, and he should have added fresh midfield players instead of strikers.
Our players seemed very tired in the last 15 minutes, specialy the creative ones.

[MadridForever]

Very entertained game. The Real Madrid played a great ofensive play, with Zidane playing great and, like dmar said, also Guti and Cambiasso. I also would include Figo for his play in the first half.

I really like very much the RM ofensive play - Zidane made a lesson yesterday about that - but the problem was the defense. We were very little concentrated in fouls and corners in the first half and the AEK made us three goals.

I'm with dmar about that Del Bosque should have done substitutions earlier. The game did not have rest and there were some players tired in the last minutes.

Raul is a serious doubt for the next game because he is injured.

Gruop C
---------
Real Madrid - 7 points
Roma - 4 points
AEK - 3 points
Genk - 1 point

We need to win the next game to not have unnecessary last time problems.

[dmar]

BTW, the next game is against AEK again, isn't it?

[anirbanblah]

Originally posted by dmar
BTW, the next game is against AEK again, isn't it?

Yes, in two weeks time. The Champion's League takes a break next week.

[Martin Cutler]

Originally posted by MadridForever
Very entertained game. The Real Madrid played a great ofensive play, with Zidane playing great and, like dmar said, also Guti and Cambiasso. I also would include Figo for his play in the first half.

* * * *
- but the problem was the defense. We were very little concentrated in fouls and corners in the first half and the AEK made us three goals.


Agree the game, particularly the first half was very entertaining. Real Madrid's defense, especially Pavon was very shaky. It looked to me like the team just wasn't concentrating. Real Madrid can get away with that now in the Champion's League as they are practically guaranteed to finish first in their group but they need to avoid these lapses in concentration in their league matches and in subsequent Champion's League matches when they'll be playing teams far more difficult than AEK Athens.

[dmar]

Originally posted by Martin Cutler

they need to avoid these lapses in concentration in their league matches and in subsequent Champion's League matches when they'll be playing teams far more difficult than AEK Athens.

And matches like the one vs. Valladolid are the ones which decide the league title...

[elgreco]

Originally posted by MadridForever
I'm with you dmar. A game against a "weak" team, with the team almost classified, maybe can be some relaxation ...
Much relaxation, indeed. :D