Nice win for Real Madrid today 2-0 over Deportivo. Goal just before halftime by Zidane set up by Ronaldo and a fine goal by Ronaldo in the 2nd half brilliantly set up by Zidane (the best player in the game in my view). Zidane hit a pass with the outside of his foot towards the top of the box, Raul lets the ball go past him to Ronaldo, who controls it, takes a dribble and fires hard and low past Molina. Good all around game by Madrid. They looked solid in all their lines. Except for a few moments early on, Deportivo wasn't really in this game as Madrid outplayed them throughout most of the match. Real Madrid now has a 3 point lead over Real Sociedad! Here are the lineups: Real Madrid: Iker Casillas; Míchel Salgado, Iván Helguera, Pavón, Roberto Carlos; Flavio Conceicao, Makelele; Figo (Miñambres, m.91), Raúl, Zidane (Guti, m.68); y Ronaldo (Solari, m.83). Deportivo La Coruña: Molina; Héctor (Víctor, m.68), Naybet, Jorge Andrade, Romero; Scaloni, Mauro Silva, Sergio, Fran (Luque, m.57); Diego Tristán (Valerón, m.57) y Makaay.
Great game, yeah! Real Madrid is up to win La Liga. I let´s see what will happen facing Manchester United for the Champions! I think they´re strong enough to defeate Man Und
Great match by Madrid, they never stepped into Top gear but they were always in 100% control. I feel we could easily have won by 3 or 4 goals, and in fact if Raul had not been marginally off-side it was 3-0 with Helguera’s goal. It was also probably Ronaldo’s best performance at home all season. He ran tirelessly, showed pace and strength and acceleration, he even came back and won the ball on his own half before going on a 50 yard run! All he needs is to bring his finishing back to the level it used to be, maybe another 20% so he doesn’t shoot wide when faced with only the goalkeeper. But he was the Man of the Match in my opinion. I wonder though if he was trying to prove a point to the fans at the Bernabeau and all the critics who say he is selfish… I am talking about the time when he tried to cut the ball to Salgado at the right and post instead of going for goal himself. Although he and Raul are still not perfect in their understanding, we saw once again how it keeps getting better. I know that Zidane made the pass and Ronaldo scored the goal but Raul’s little step to the left was brilliant, dragging the defender with him and creating the little bit of space that Ronaldo needed. I’m still not convinced about Figo though. He seems to be getting faster and stronger and fitter, and has started showing flashes of inspiration after a long time. But he still gives the ball away far too often, tries to dribble when passing may be a better option, falls over too easily, makes wrong passes, and generally fails to keep possession… ruining dangerous positions as often as he creates them. I feel that of all the 1st team regulars, he is the most dispensable. He is also the one that needs to be rotated more often so that he stays fresh, and in Minambres I feel we have someone who can do a more than adequate job. Pavon and Helguera had a good game too, though they remain fragile during set-pieces. That’s why I shall be happy when the old man is back… I know that he is getting slower than ever, and at times he’s left us really exposed, but we miss his presence in the air and in the box.
Good points all. I've highlighted a few above which i wanted to comment on. As I've made clear on other threads, I too am not happy with Figo's play and like anirbanblah feel he is the starting lineup's weakest link. He slows the team's play down too much by his over dribbling. If he'd play the ball first time more often he'd be more effective and it would open up more opportunities for him to then try and beat his man off the dribble. Now the opponents know Figo will try and beat them witha dribble so he loses the element of surprise. I've liked how Pavon and Helguera have played in Hierro's absence but again anirbanblah makes a good point about how Hierro is missed on set pieces. Prior to his injury Hierro also was playing well but he's still a magnet for yellow cards at this stage of his career. I'm sure the captain will return to the lineup soon but in a way I wouldn't be upset to see Pavon and Helguera remain as a starters. Another person who has been underated in the defense's strength these past months has been the play of Salgado. He has been so active not only attacking but more importantly defending. I'm optimistic about the rest of the season.