We have a thread for the all time best 11 and a thread for our legends. This thread is for the classic Madrid matches. While I don't consider the 12 games - 12 finals classics (yet) newer matches are welcome as well. Which game do you remember? And why? Was it a finale where we won something significant? Maybe for the first time? Was it a game that proved to be a turning point for us? Maybe a game where we gave Barca a good whooping? A match that symbolizes an era? Or just a match in which we played particularly brilliant? Share it here, please.
Nice thread . I personally consider the run in to the title last season as one of my best moments as a Madridista. Obviously since I'm young my memory does not go back as far as people like Alma or Maca or MF etc2, but I don't think even they have seen anything like it. It was just everything about it, the passion, the players, the setting, the suffering, the pain and everything being worth it in the end. I have no shame in admitting I cried like a little boy the day we won the title. 4 years of humiliation, indignation, getting taunted by rival fans and Cules, that 3-0 demolition at the Bernabeu, that mega collapse in 2003, the instability,the refereeing bias the tears, the tension all gone in one swift flick of the boot of Jose Antonio Reyes. It was like sticking a finger up to the rest of the world and damn, it felt good Other great matches I remember are obviously the 2001 CL final, beating the Cules at the Nou Camp etc etc but still, none of it even comes close to this. There's another match I remember against Espanyol I think which we lost, but it was brilliant end-to-end stuff and I remember Tamudo lost his boot but still went on and almost scored without it. It was beautiful football at its best and I started to like our nice Catalan friends alot more after that game Oh, and I also saw the 1964 ECC final a few weeks ago. Absolutely brilliant. Ferenc Puskas, Gento, Di Stefano, all of them were gods. The kind of football they played was just out of this world. But above all, I was most in awe of Santamaria. Wow, what a defender. An absolute beast of a player. Fabio5 at his very best can't polish his shoes IMO.
Really?? No one has any special memory of a Madrid match? No one remembers the Zidane volley in Glasgow? The other recent UCL-triumphs didn't really make in impression either? No one remembers the 2 superb legs against Manchester United? Come on you guys - I expect more!
One of my personal favorites: 2003 CL Quarter Finals: Real Madrid vs. Manchester United. 3-1 at the Bernabeu, 3-4 at Old Trafford. (2nd leg) No Raul since he was injured. He had scored two in the first leg. He was touted as the best player in the world by Sir Alex prior to the 1st leg clash. Ronaldo Hat trick.. Standing ovation for him by the United fans. Incredible. The second goal defined the combination/chemistry between Zidane, and Roberto Carlos. 2 Own goals (Helguera//Hierro).. lol. The Casillas reaction after each one is priceless. v.Nistelrooy was/is one of my favorite players. He scored for United. Game also featured a Beckham freekick goal. Simply..a fantastic match.
I couldnt edit my post but I just wanted to post the highlights to the match I spoke of: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WH13gCEaHVs Look at the patience, and the buildup of the second goal. Fantastic. Not to mention, our jerseys are class.
Really the first leg of that quarterfinal against Manchester United was a footballing masterclass... for a good 15-20 minutes it was like Man Utd wasn't even on the pitch. It just shows you how amazing that team was. From last year's run, my favorite game would have to be the 4-3 result against Esapnyol after being down and out at 1-3, I think after that you just knew Real were going to win it. My fondest memories are of the Champions' League runs in the early 2000s. Our title in 2002 was so sweet, we beat Bayern AND Barcelona... That first leg in the Nou Camp with Figo out and McManaman in his place with Zidane and Macca making sure of the points before Raul sealed it back home... that was sweetness.
The Champions League final in Glasgow. I watched that one in a pub in Gibraltar. I had just seen RM at the Bernabeu for the first time a little before that. The team drew with Mallorca at home, 0-0, to basically end its chance to win the league title. Non-RM fans tried to ask me questions to make it look like I was a casual or bandwagon fan, but I impressed them by pointing out that the game would be particularly important because both teams in the final had just missed out on domestic titles. Both games of the Champions League semifinal against Barcelona that same season. I watched that one in London. Many fans who live outside Europe think the dramatic Champions League theme music is hilariously overdone, relative to the importance of a soccer game. This is how you know they have never watched a game in Europe or in a city that has a club in the competition. It is that dramatic, and that important. The win against Barcelona two seasons ago that put us back in the title race, though we ultimately missed it.
You mention patience, which there is but that pace of play is something I've been praying to see again. Look at how quickly the ball is moved. Beautiful.
It is hard to limit the classics. I think we saw some matches at the end of last season that will become classics - especially the Espanyol match. Let's see. Here are three from me: Real Madrid at Manchester United - The match that is remembered for the Redondo move. In retrospect, I think that match was the one that really put us back on the right track in European competition. Bayern Munich at Real Madrid - Another CL match. I've mentioned this one before. This one is special to me because I was at the game and I have never seen/felt the Bernabeu rock like that again. This was the match that featured Oliver Kahn saying "Real Madrid will never score two goals" ... man, when that second goal went in the place went absolutely nuts. It was insane. I can not begin to describe what it was like to be here. Barcelona at Real Madrid - 5-0 win with a masterful performance from Michael Laudrup.
97-98 CL semi final against Borussia Dortmund. Redondo put on a show in Germany. One of his best ever performances for us. 1997 Supercup final 2nd leg against Barcelona. We killed them 4-1 and I was there
Other than what Alma mentioned: Wow, you guys have covered all my favourite ones. Ronaldo's hat trick, the 00 and 02 clashes with Bayern (IIRC), Zidane's volley (I was in the stands in Glasgow for that one). I remember specially fondly two games of Zidane, one against Depor, where he destroyed one of the best defensive midfielders of all time (Mauro Silva), and one against Valencia. Can't remember the exact season(s), though.
That was January 2002 at the Bernabeu. It was really significant because that was when Depor were on very good form. They were runner up two years in a row and won the league prior to it. EDIT: I personally think the away win at Celta Vigo and that win against the high flying Depor made our season. This is my opinion no need to flame me for it, thanks.
I have to say this two, too. And I have to agree that that game at Manchester in 2000 was pivotal and earned us a lot of credit in Europe. The firs leg was pretty good, too, IMO.
No shyt! I was there too. It was pouring rain that day. That move started with a sick step over near the center circle. Man, that was awesome!
You kids are funny. Look up the gol, I guarantee you it was raining! I think. Maybe my depends were leaking.
The one in Old Traford two years earlier was very nice two. Redondo had a wonderful assist on a Raul goal.
Don't know how many people here would agree but even though we ended up out of the competition, one of my favorites is Real Madrid 4 - 0 Zaragoza (6-5 agg.) from the Copa Del Rey Semi in 2006. It showed that we still had heart that there was some kind of pulse running through the club. I also have never seen the Bernabeau crowd cheer that loudly, the house was rocking from Cicinho's 1st minute goal (3-0, 10 minutes through) all the way to the 90th minute.
Most of my choices have been mentioned, but as a couple of personal choices....I loved the 3-3 with AEK a few years back... and the 7-2 against Valladolid was my son's first Madrid game ...a very nice moment.