Real Madrid 7-0 Valladolid

Posted by Borris Becker on Feb 11, 2008 in Match Reports | 0 comments

Real Madrid 7-0 Valladolid

Hail to the champions and bow to the majesty of real madrid as they have truly showcased their potential and destroyed valladolid in a performance which was the best I have seen in the past 10 years at the bernabeau. Real valladolid came in with a strategy which was both brave and shocking. I cannot really recall the last time when I saw a team’s defense keeping a high line at the bernabeau but real valladolid did that crime and as they say, don’t to the crime if you cant do the time. And real valladolid were battered and swiped off the pitch by real madrid inside the first half.

Real Madrid, a goal scoring machine

(Source realmadrid.com)

Real madrid looked sharp from the very first minute and played attacking football from the start giving the fans a goal fest which they deserved as now real madrid have not lost a single home game in more than a year, actually 365 days to be exact. Real madrid looked determined to dispel all the concerns and doubts that were being cast after the defeat to almeria and the white’s did just that by routing valladolid and thus, increasing the lead further to 8 points.

Real madrid did not even play their ideal 11 today as van nistelrooy, heinze, torres, pepe, sneijder, metzelder and also robinho (15nth minute into the game) were all injured or suspended which raised questions about what schuster’s strategy should be. As described by Diego Maradona “Schuster is tactically perfect”, Schuster outdid his counterpart by anticipating real valladolid’s strategy of defeding high up the pitch to cramp the real madrid’s midfield for room.

This was effectively dealt with by schuster when he decided to play two fast players on the wings to catch real valladolid off guard, with robben and robinho(before he got injured in the 15nth minute) both starting the game for the first time in this season and the gamble paid it’s dividends as real madrid was able to put 5 goals past real valladolid’s young goalkeeper, for whom the match turned out to be nightmare at the final whistle.

Real valladolid played ther hearts out for the whole 90 minutes although they were loosing by 5-0 for most of the game and credit must be given to them for their hard work and their character as they did not just lie down in front of real madrid’s artistry but instead tried to intimidate real madrid players by making rough tackles and pressurizing them in the first half. Real valladolid showed tremendous fighting spirit and courage by playing the way they did despite the thrashing they received.

First goal came in the 9nth minute when robinho and robben combined to confuse the real valladolid’s defense into stepping up for the offside whilst baptista sneaked past their defense and scored a nice clinical finish to get the first goal of the game, little did real valladolid know that this night was going to be their worst of the season.

Baptista with the first goal, lets keep counting

(Source realmadrid.com)

Robinho retired on the 15nth minute mark and was substituted by drenthe, who proved to be one of the best players on the pitch that night for real madrid.After that, goals came pouring down in the bernabeau with guti slipping a nice through ball to raul who dribbled it past the keeper to finish with his right foot for the second goal of the night. Goals and more goals followed, in fact, real madrid scored 4 goals in fifteen minutes after raul scored his first goal.

Raul scoring the second goal for real madrid

(Source realmadrid.com)

Third came from robben 33rd minute, again guti was the maestro in the midfield with his precise killer passes to both the wingmen and guti’s eighth assist came when he found robben in his full stride with a pass and robben appreciated the quality of the pass with a cleverly tucked goal into the near post of real valladolid’s goalkeeper.

Robben for the third(we’re only half way done)

(Source realmadrid.com)

At this point real madrid started to look hunry for more goals, undertandably as they wanted to make amense for their slip up againt almeria previous week, and they responded in splendid fashion by scoring another goal. Againt guti provided Baptista with an inch prefect pass who was almost certain to score till he was brought down by real valladolid’s goalkeeper.Raul stepped up to take the penalty and slipped it past the goal keeper’s right post, giving real madrid a 4 goal advantage after just 39 minutes .

Raul with the brace, now that’s something you do not hear so often

(Source realmadrid.com)

Another one followed when Guti after his ninth assist decided to get one for himself as well on 44rth minute mark, drenthe provided guti with a contrtolled pass from the right and guti with an accurate finish toward the near post into the top corner which gave real valladolid’s keeper no chance whatsoever to stop the shot. The crowd was made to witness a special performance that night by schuster’s men and real madrid players got a standing ovation they deserved when they left the field for half time.

Guti netting the fifth

(Source realmadrid.com)

Although real madrid players stepped their foot of the gas when they came out for the second half but the part rolled on as they played with maximum intensity. Guti got his second goal in 62nd minute,the midfielder received a Robben pass at the top the box which he finished off but it was not the best I have ever seen from guti, as the ball clearly came of his standing foot but it was real madrid’s night that night and everything they touched turned into gold as the 7nth and final goal of the night was hammered in by drenthe(again from a guti assist) in the 80th minute which really put cherry on the cake for real madrid. What I saw in this match was that real madrid are looking to put a lot more cherries on a lot more cakes to get the prize they want(the league title).

If raul’s brace was unexpected then what do you say about guti’s brace

(Source realmadrid.com)

Real valladolid had their half chances when in the second half a mistake by casillas forced salgado to clear the ball off the line to maintain the cleansheet which was really the only motivation the defenders of real madrid could give themselves after seeing the demolition of real valladolid.

Drenthe’s goal in a way affected the concentration levels of real madrid defenders in a negative way

(Source realmadrid.com)

Gago and sergio ramos both were substituted because of their lack of match fitness. Diarra and soldado came on as the substitutes in the second half just to see off the game till the end. It was certainly a match for the record books as the last time real madrid beat a side by this margin was in 2001/2002 season when they beat Las Palmas. With these seven goals real madrid have tightened their grip on the top of the table with a huge lead over barcelona who were held to a 1-1 draw by sevilla on saturday.

exhilarating football at its best

(Source realmadrid.com)

I think I am going to award everybody a player rating of 10, as they deserve it for their fabulous performance against real Valladolid with the exception of Marcelo who was one the week links in the real Madrid defense and I would not like to see him starting in the champions league against roma or against any high-quality side for that matter. He was exposed too much by not so first-rate forwards of real valladolid and he unquestionably needs to work on his composure and positioning while defending. Apart from that every player played close to his respective potential, Casillas can be given the benefit of the doubt for his mistakes because he had a sour finger.