Liverpool 0 - 3 Real Madrid 10/22/14 Real beat Liverpool for the first time; Ronaldo deflates Liverpools bubble; Benzema leads the rout as Real cruise to victory; Isco makes a statement. Should Varane play instead of Ramos? Kroos to score against Barcelona? Well the game has come and gone. Many had speculated that Liverpool had a chance if they defended well and somehow the Liverpool players had the same idea. They started the match brightly and very much in the same way they did in 2009; physically, but Real wanted revenge and were ready to fight. The first goal of the game, courtesy of Ronaldo ended the pressure and turned the momentum over to Real. Carlo Ancelotti managed to prove beyond a doubt that he is a tactician. His game plan for stopping Sterling was executed perfectly by his defense. This is good considering that tactics will be vital in the next game. He only has one concern after this game. Real seemed to have lost some focus in the second half, which led to Liverpool dominating possession and half-hearted attacks by Real. Against Barcelona, Real will have to be focused every second of the game, even if they score 3 goals before halftime. Iker Casillas had a solid game and got a much needed clean sheet before having to face off against the likes of Messi and Neymar. Mostly the clean sheet was due to poor finishing from the Liverpool players and that wont be the case against the next opponent. Iker did have solid moments during the match though, especially on set-piece plays, so yes he did influence the outcome. Marcelo has put in some consistent displays recently and that votes well for him. He even had a few great defensive moments, which is a lot when talking about his game. He obviously had the assignment to help in covering off Raheem Sterling and managed to help out when necessary. As usual his attacking game was tremendous and Real will need him to display a bit of both soon. His lack of defense was very obvious in the second half, when Liverpool were attacking the most, because he was often high up the field and couldnt get back in time, but luckily the others covered well. Pepe and Raphaël Varane had very solid match. Both had the the Sterling-assignment and managed to execute that very well, but they also displayed a good sense of the game and were constantly ahead of the play, which made the whole task of defending the Liverpool attacks that much simpler. When necessary they cleared the ball up field without a second thought. The big question now of course is; should Varane be selected ahead of Sergio Ramos? The Ramos fan club wont be too happy about that, but considering the fact that Ramos has had less time on the pitch and Varane is playing very well, it would be a shame to leave him out for a player thats just coming back. Real have heralded Varane as a World Class Defender and the time has come to actually give him that honor. Álvaro Arbeloa performed well, especially since most of the Liverpools attacks were originating or at least involving players on his flank. Arbeloa had to deal with pacey players and for a guy at his age that should have been a problem, but he managed to control his flank well. No, he didnt stop any of the attacks, but did well to disrupt them somewhat so that the others could come in and help. His defensive mentality was clear when James passed a ball, without looking, to Arbeloas flank, but Arbeloa was nowhere to be found. Who could blame him? the game was almost over, Liverpool were constantly attacking and Real were going to win, so Arbeloa decided defense was the better option. Kudos to him for that choice. James Rodriguez Oficial picked up a slight knock early on, which was the reason for the bandage. He ended up looking, somewhat like a pirate, but that pirate put on one hell of a show. Quick and smart movement, touching and giving the ball, good combinations and crisp passing, are all ways to describe his performance today. He lacked his preciseness late in the second half, but to be honest so did all of the others. Isco Alarcon made a clear and loud statement today; I am ready and he does indeed look ready. Gareth Bale was not a part of the team, but Isco rose to the occasion and gave Real exactly what Bale would have were he available, but Isco added more than Bale could to the game. Isco carried the ball forward when needed, combined well, wasnt afraid in the one v one situations and displayed good explosive pace. All in all he had a good game and Ancelotti should have no problem selecting him for the next game. Toni Kroos and Luka Modrić did what they had done very well for the last few games, which was working well together, controlling the game and helping the defense. Even in attack they performed well, by moving the ball quickly and effectively. Luka has had a few shots on target in the few games and eventually he will get lucky. Fans will be hoping that happens in the next game, but above all the stage is set for Kroos to score. Yes, our team here is having some fun with this prediction, and we actually dare to say that Kroos will score against Barcelona, if Real play well. After all Cometh the moment, cometh the man and he certainly is the man. Karim Benzema put one quite a show today, as he usually does in the Champions League. After Ronaldo scored the first, Benzema effectively killed off Liverpool by scoring goals 2 and 3, both from corners evidently. He didnt stop there though, he actively looked for goal number 3 to complete his hattrick and led most of the counters. Benzema has found a new level and hes consistently showing it off; the big question is, will that level be there in the next game. One thing to take into consideration here is that Benzema always plays his very best against Barcelona and with his current form, that very best could mean goals for Real. Cristiano Ronaldo has played another game and has scored once again. This man simply cant stop scoring, but Real and fans are very happy and grateful to him for just that. Ronaldo did what he does best and that is attacking, there wasnt much he did wrong in that sense, but that is what Real need from him now. Ronaldo hasnt always performed well in Classicos; somehow Messi always seemed to outshine him, but considering his current form, Ronaldo should have no problems this time around. Conclusion: Real took revenge and effectively finished the game in one half, which was good news, because it meant taking the foot off the gas for a big chunk of the game and that will translate well, as far as rest is concerned for those players, but it would have been better if Real had kept control of the game instead of allowing Liverpool to come at them. The Liverpool resurgence in the second was good for something; showing the world that Real can defend if necessary, but like stated earlier if Liverpool had been accurate, there mightve been a different ending. Losing concentration or taking the foot of the gas is a luxury they do not have for the upcoming game, so Ancelotti has some work to do. #HalaMadrid #RealMadrid #ComoNoTeVoyAQuerer #HalaMadridyNadaMas
Posted on: Wed, 22 Oct 2014 21:26:31 +0000
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