First match since the winter break for Real Madrid and Real Madrid will be looking to kick start their new year in the best possible manner, ie, with a win. Real Madrid faced Valencia in the last match and won albeit barely.
Real Madrid have been pretty busy during the winter break and have almost done all their shopping for this winter. We have signed Huntelaar from Ajax and Lassana Diarra from Portsmouth. Both are very reasonable players but i don’t think that they can get Real Madrid’s messed up league campaign back on track, they just don’t have that individual brilliance about them.
It has to be a team effort to pull Real Madrid out of this hole and get them back into the La Liga title race. There is no Zidane out there who Real Madrid can snap up and change the team’s current situation with a swing of his boot.
Anyway, coming back to this match. Juande Ramos has insitilled in this Real Madrid some real hardcore character and will be hoping to get a favourable result in this match, which should be no less than a win.
Barcelona have won their match and are now a massive 15 points ahead of Real Madrid, so that obviously means that Real Madrid cannot afford to drop points. I think, Real Madrid will have to have a perfect record in this month of January to have any chance of making comeback in La Liga title race.
Real Madrid may have a completely new side in 2009 as with the arrival of Huntelaar and Lassana Diarra, Daniel Parejo has also been recalled from QPR and there is a possibilityof a third signing, which I think is the most important and that is of a right sided midfield player.
Couple that with Juande Ramo’s tendancy to mix youth products with first teamers, we could see a new starting eleven for Real Madrid in the new year.
FORM GUIDE
Real Madrid
Dec 20 Real Madrid 1-0 Valencia (LA LIGA)
Dec 13 Barcelona 2-0 Real Madrid (LA LIGA)
Dec 10 Real Madrid 3-0 Zenit St. Petersburg (CL)
Dec 07 Real Madrid 3-4 Sevilla (LA LIGA)
Nov 29 Getafe 3-1 Real Madrid (LA LIGA)
Villarreal
Dec 21 Villarreal 1-2 Barcelona (LA LIGA)
Dec 14 Sevilla 1-0 Villarreal (LA LIGA)
Dec 10 Celtic 2-0 Villarreal (CL)
Dec 06 Villarreal 3-3 Getafe (LA LIGA)
Nov 30 Recreativo Huelva 1-2 Villarreal (LA LIGA)
Real Madrid Team News
New signing Klaas-Jan Huntelaar looks certain to earn a dream start at the Bernabéu at the expense of the team’s leading scorer, Gonzalo Higuaín, who is still recovering from acute tonsillitis. Though he has himself only just recovered from an ankle injury and his match fitness levels are still unknown.
Defenders, Pepe and Gabriel Heinze have both shrugged off their injuries and they could make their comebacks on Sunday while Sergio Ramos also returns to the team after serving out a one-match ban for card accumulation.
Ruud van Nistelrooy, Mahamadou Diarrà and Ruben de la Red are all out for the remainder of the season.
I think, Huntelaar and Lassana Diarra have got quite alot to proove in this match. These coming weeks performances may have long term consequences and may be be the deciding factor in getting picked for the Febuary Champions League clash wtih Liverpool, as only one of them can play in Champions League according to UEFA rules
Ofcourse, they will have the added advantage of having their debut infront of the Bernabeu crowd (not sure about Huntelaar, as he is completely fit yet).
Prediction
I have to say one thing, Villareal is a extremely rigid and stubborn side and defend really well. On their day, it’s almost impossible to break them. Though they have never won against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu (or atleast I think so, becuase I cannot remember the last time Villareal won against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu).
That should have given us some advantage but considering the current situation of Real Madrid, I would be surprised if Real Madrid get any moral boosts from their head to head record against Villareal. I think Juande Ramos is going to go for a “play bad and win” strategy and we should not expect to see a spectacle in this match.
I am going to predict a 2-0 victory for Real Madrid. First goal is going to be nice and early in the first half and then Real Madrid will just sit back to hit Villareal on the break.
Let me know what you guys think.
HALA MADRID!!
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