League calendar

Real Madrid-Villarreal is the first match of the 06/07 League. Madrid hosts Barça on 22 October

Villarreal will be Real Madrid's first rival of the 2006/07 campaign, as determined by the calendar lottery held by the Spanish Football Federation. The match will be played at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium the weekend of 26-27 August. Matchday seven sees Real Madrid play the Classic against Barcelona on 22 October at the Bernabéu. The final match of the season will be against Mallorca, also to be played at the White Coliseum.

Closed-door training

Last session before La Liga starts

Real Madrid's final training session before their League debut took place this morning behind closed doors at Valdebebas. The Whites face Villarreal tomorrow at 7 pm CET at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. Saturday marked Fabio Capello's last chance to prepare his team for tomorrow's match.

The final training session of the pre-season began this morning at 10 am CET. With the 2006/07 League rolling into action tomorrow, Fabio Capello and his men are putting on the finishing touches in order to get off the best start possible. Ronaldo was the only man missing from today's session. The Brazilian worked on the final stretch of his specific recovery protocol and was seen running at Real Madrid City.
It was a demanding and rigorous session, but the good vibes among the squad were clearly evident. The Real Madrid players are hungry for titles, and they cannot wait to get the League underway. As Fabio Capello continuously gave his men tactical orders, he was surely visualising his starting 11 for tomorrow's match against Villarreal.

The workout unraveled like any other, following the same routine that transpired all week. The footballers were very focused and committed to their preparations. They started with some recovery exercises and muscles toning, only to be followed by one of the most amusing moments of the morning. While playing with his hands, the Italian coach split his men into two groups. While only allowed to take two steps, the players had to pass the ball with their hands, but the objective was to score a goal with either their head or feet. It was an easy-going drill before the serious exercises started in order to fully prepare the squad for tomorrow. The players finished off the morning taking free kicks.

Real Madrid commence their 2006/07 League run tomorrow at 7 pm CET at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium against Pellegrini's Villarreal. It will reveal just how prepared the Whites are, and will also serve to even the score for the loss in the Ramón de Carranza Trophy. Notwithstanding, statistics show that Villarreal have never defeated Real Madrid in an official match.

Real Madrid-Villarreal preview

The 2006/07 Liga is set to get underway

Time's up. The tests, trials, and experiments are over. On Sunday at 7 pm CET, Real Madrid will face their first serious test in La Liga. The rival is Villarreal, semifinalist in last year's edition of the Champions League. The Whites will be without Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos, who is suspended. Guti, however, may play while wearing a splint on his injured hand.

The pre-season came to a close on Wednesday with Real Madrid's 2-1 win over Anderlecht for the Santiago Bernabéu Trophy. The friendlies against Plymouth Argyle (1-0), Irdning (10-2), Fulham (0-0), Reggina (1-0), DC United (1-1), Real Salt Lake (2-0), Betis (3-3), and Villarreal (0-1) are now distant memories. They served as Fabio Capello's trial run since he took over the squad in early July. His final conclusion after all his pre-season experiments will be reflecting in the starting 11 he places on the turf of the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium on Sunday. Surely, Real Madrid's four new signings will take part. Barring any surprises, Fabio Cannavaro, Emerson, Mahamadou Diarra, and Ruud Van Nistelrooy will be in Madrid's starting lineup to face Villarreal. It's a Madrid team that will display an innovative style of football; rugged in defense and imaginative in attack. A Madrid that sees the League as one of their primary objectives.

Not on the teamsheet
Fabio Capello will be without the services of Sergio Ramos, suspended for one game from last season, and Ronaldo, still recovering from knee surgery. With the absence of Ramos, there is a wide variety of options to cover the centre of the defense. His position could be played by Woodgate, Iván Helguera, Mejía, Pavón, or Raúl Bravo, who the Italian coach has tested in the centre back position with positive results. Replacing Ronaldo is more simple: Ruud Van Nistelrooy, who started winning over the Bernabéu crowd with his two goals against Anderlecht on Wednesday. The Dutchman is a goal-scoring guarantee. Meanwhile, Guti is waiting for his opportunity to play, and in all likelihood will wear a splint to protect the ring finger of his right hand.

A good rival for the Whites
Historically, Villarreal have been a good rival for Real Madrid. The Yellow Submarine has yet to take three points in the seven times it has visited the Bernabéu since being promoted to the First Division. The Madridistas have won on five occasions and drawn twice, the last being Zidane's farewell match at the Bernabéu that ended 3-3, including a goal by the French star.

The rival
Villarreal are the team that will take on the Whites on Sunday. An opponent that came one missed penalty away from qualifying for last year's Champions League final. This year, however, it looks like Manuel Pellegrini's men have gotten off to a slower start. They were defeated by Maribor in the first round of the Intertoto, thus being left out of European competition. Despite the setback, the Yellows showed their potential against Madrid in the Ramón de Carranza Trophy by knocking off the Whites 1-0 with a Riquelme free kick. The Argentine international, injured Pires, and newly acquired Cani and Nihat will be the men the White defense will have to keep a close eye on if the Madridistas are to continue their great patch against the Yellow.

Whether sold out or not, the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium will be rocking for Real Madrid's 2006/07 League debut. Everyone is ready for football. Everyone is ready to win the League.

Primera Liga Preview: Real Madrid - Villarreal

Where: Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
When: 19:00 CET, Sunday, 27th August

Capello's Era

The presidency of Ramon Calderon brought with it the signing of Fabio Capello as coach for the second time in Real's history, as much for his steely resolve as the iron hand used in building a team, one which would win.

The pre-season has yielded mixed results, but then again, it is just a dress rehearsal. The real show starts on Sunday evening in spectacular fashion, as the Yellow Submarines visit El Bernabeu.

Ideally, Capello would have liked to ease his team into the season, rather than be pitted against a team which would be a good bet for a top four, if not a better finish. But as ever, every cloud has it's silver lining, and the Merengues could hardly give themselves a better shot in the arm than by making themselves count against the Champions League semi-finalists.

Anything less than a Primera Liga or Champions League would be a failure, but for starters, the fans will be happy to see something they can believe in, and this game is the perfect opportunity to offer that as a symbiotic gesture to the fans.

Three Trophy-less Years At El Bernabeu

The pain following three trophy-less years is simply excruciating for a club as big as Real Madrid, particularly after having won either the League or the Champions League in each of the five seasons prior to that.

If that wasn't enough, the lean patch has coincided with arch-rivals Barcelona finding their feet after five troublesome years, and the Real Madrid fans are craving for something to shout back about.

Coaches have come and gone, but nobody has been able to find the spirit that the affable but less than 'Galactic' Vincente del Bosque managed to. "Capello is different, he will take us back to where we belong," say the fans. We will find out soon enough!

Villarreal's Moment Of Truth

Just over a year ago, Villarreal had made it into the Champions League as the third placed team from Spain. A year later, they have an appearance in the Champions League semi-final under their belt, but at the cost of no European participation.

This a season wherein they are supposed to climb further up, establish that they are here to stay, and not to simply be swallowed into mid-table obscurity.

The League is their only objective, and that will be a big asset, particularly come the second half of the season. However, with teams such as Sevilla, Celta Vigo and Valencia unlikely to step aside and make way, there is a lot of work to be done before they can even go about mixing it with the two biggies.

Whether they can manage to stick around among the top five, or get drowned as the likes of Deportivo and Atletico Madrid also look to make a charge back to the top, remains to be seen.

Tactically Uncertain Capello

Both teams are as yet uncertain about their first elevens, but Real are yet to even settle on their system. Capello is still deliberating on whether to play two or three in central midfield. Two across the middle (either Diarra or Guti alongside and Emerson), with two out wide (from Raul, Robinho, Beckham), and two up front (Cassano, Van Nistelrooy) seems to be the stock solution, much along the lines of his Juventus system.

However, there is this temptation to play three in a very strong midfield, and start off by ensuring that Real become a team very difficult to beat, ensure possession, and then allow the remaining three up front to go for it. In Emerson, Diarra and Guti, they most certainly have the manpower, but the implication for the team's Galacticos would not be very rosy.

Besides, there is almost no way to fit Beckham into that, so Capello might just be better off sticking to plan 'A', and allowing the former England skipper to re-establish his connection with Ruud. Raul, Robinho and Cassano would then compete for two spots, one on the left, and the other just behing Van Nistelrooy. The problem, of couse, is keeping one out of Emerson, Diarra and Guti on the bench.

Villarreal's Defensive Woes

The Yellow Submarines' season nose-dived with Gonzalo Rodriguez's injury prior to the Champions League semi-final clash with Arsenal, and the Argentine international could be out for seven months this time, after tearing a knee ligament in a pre-season friendly against Real Madrid last week (the Ramon de Carranza Trophy).

Without him, Manuel Pellegrini's charges look far more penetrable, despite the passionate efforts of Quique Alvarez and Juan Manuel Pena.

What will give the Chilean coach some respite, though, is that he seems to have solved his problems on the right. Even though Pires is injured, in former Zaragoza midfielder Cani, he has a naturally right sided midfielder. With Senna set to continue his left sided role, the attack should be a lot more balanced this season.

Setting The League Alight

Woes apart, the one thing this high profile start ensures, is that not a single player will need any motivating. It being the first match of the season, neither side will be willing to settle for a draw either. A Champions League berth is the minimum objective for Villarreal, while Real have their sights set firmly on toppling Barcelona from the top perch.

The start to Fabio Capello's second season and stint in Spain will make for some spicy news, one way or the other.

TEAM NEWS

Real Madrid

Cannavaro, Emerson, Diarra and van Nistelrooy are the four new arrivals of the Capello era, and almost all of them are set to feature regularly over the rest of the season. Jonathan Woodgate is set to be loaned beck to an English club in order to rediscover his form and fitness, so Ivan Helguera couls stay put. Ronaldo also seems to have his immediate future tied to the Bernabeu, after Milan pulled out of negotiations with Real.

The immediate team composition points towards Cannavaro and Ramos in the centre (Helguera could deputize with Ramos suspended from last season), Salgado and Roberto Carlos defending the flanks, and Emerson and Diarra providing defensive cover, with the later also taking some part in the team's creative game. Van Nistelrooy and Cassano look to have won the two spots up front for now, and should be supported by Beckham and Raul/Robinho from the flanks.

Villarreal

Injuries to Robert Pires and Gonazalo Rodriguez have rocked the Yellow Submarines leading up to the Primera Liga kick-off. While Cani and Senna can offer width either side of Riquelme, the search for defensive reinforcement has been given top priority.

In the meanwhile, Pellegrini will have to do with the centre-half pairing of Quique Alvarez and Juan Manuel Pena, and hope solid full-backs Javi Venta and Arruabarrena provide their usual support. Riquelme should continue to pull the strings in the middle, with Senna, Tacchinardi and Cani just behind, and Nihat and Forlan.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Real Madrid: Emerson, Cannavaro

How well Emerson can neutralize Riquelme will perhaps be a critical factor in deciding the outcome of the match. Cannavaro should also have his hands full against the likes of Nihat and Forlan. Capello is sure to have disciplined the defense, but it will be really interesting to see how he fares when those around him leave him exposed more often than he would like.

Villarreal: Riquelme, Nihat

Riquelme will still be the player around whom the entire attack will be organized. That said, Nihat's arrival and his ability to play as the pacy, mobile second striker, should further help bring out the best in the Argentine's game, marked by vision and passing. With Riquelme, Nihat and Forlan, Pellegrini will be looking to recreate the Riquelme-Saviola-Crespo connection that promised so much during the first half of the World Cup, before it Pekerman soured it.

PREDICTION

A wonderful match in prospect, which Villarreal will secretly be happy to draw, all things said and done. Real will want to win it, and probably will, but in typical Capello style, by doing just enough. Those wanting to see vintage Real Madrid will have to wait a lot longer.

MATCH REPORT:

0 REAL MADRID:
Iker Casillas; Salgado, Cannavaro, Raúl Bravo, Roberto Carlos; Emerson, Diarra; Beckham (Robinho, min. 75), Raúl, Cassano (Guti, min.56) and Van Nistelrooy.

0 VILLARREAL:
Viera; Javi Venta, Quique Alvarez, Peña, Arruabarrena; Somoza, Senna, Riquelme, Cani (Josemi, min. 90); Nihat (Guille Franco, min. 59) and Forlán (José Mari, min. 75).

REFEREE:
Fernández Borbalán. Yellow cards to Real Madrid's Michel Salgado (15') and Roberto Carlos (22'), and Villarreal's Peña (20'), Nihat (38') and Quique Alvarez (89').
65,000 spectators attended the match at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.

Real Madrid 0-0 Villarreal

Real Madrid have a great first half against a strong Villarreal side but only manage a draw. Hats off to the White defence

Real Madrid haven't lost a La Liga debut in 23 years. However, the draw against Villarreal leaves a sour taste in the mouths of Madridistas after their team played a solid first half. The Raúl-Cassano-Van Nistelrooy connection worked well, but the team couldn't find the back of the net. Villarreal came out strong in the second half and Madrid had trouble keeping up. Although the Whites had several chances to take the lead, the team lacked accuracy in front of their rival's goal.

Real Madrid didn't take long to take control of the match. Minutes into the first half, Antonio Cassano began monopolising on a strong Madrid attack. His connections with Raúl spread panic through the visiting side's defence, and in the ninth minute, the two combined with Van Nistelrooy, but the Dutchman couldn't find the net. Fabio Capello's men were obsessed with taking a 1-0 lead.
Real Madrid quickly stole the football from their opponent and passed with precision. Diarra was a wall in the midfield. The Raúl-Cassano combination was dazzling in attack. A great collective play allowed Salgado to cross the ball into the box, but the Italian forward's header missed by inches. It was the Madridista's best scoring opportunity of the first half.

Impeccable defence
The Madrid attack was up and running, while the defence was impeccable in stopping Villarreal from breaking through. So much so, that the Nihat-Forlán duo, one of the most dangerous tandems in the League, didn't have one try on goal in the entire first half. The Yellows were forced to turn to the counterattack, but the excellent White defence was unpenetrable. Meanwhile, Real Madrid continued to have opportunities to take the lead. First Van Nistelrooy, and then Raúl and Emerson tried their luck on goal. Madrid were hungry to score, but they lacked accuracy when it came to finishing.

Villarreal made a push almost 30 minutes into the match. Marcos Senna put Casillas' reflexes to the test, and the Madridista keeper responded with a great save. Cani also had a go, but was also unsuccessful. The rhythm of the match began to slow, but Real Madrid didn't take long to regain control. The Whites forced two fouls just outside the Yellow's box, but neither Beckham nor Roberto Carlos found the back of the net. In the 38th minute, Van Nistelrooy's header off a corner kick sailed over the crossbar. The last play of the first half could have easily been called a penalty on Diarra after a struggle with Somoza. Madrid went to the dressing knowing that one goal could have made a good first half a great one.

Van Nistelrooy had it
Seconds into the second half, Ruud Van Nistelrooy had the team's first goal on the tip of his boot. The Dutch international had the ball all to himself after Viera's poor effort to mark him, but he struck the football too high off the turf.

The Italian coach praised the teams work on defence and he spoke about the squads physical form

Villarreal took control of the match with patient football, but they never frazzled the Madridista defence. In fact, it was Madrid who continued to have more scoring opportunities. Cassano had another go with a shot off the tip off his boot, Cannavaro missed a header, and Van Nistelrooy was unable to score. In order to regain the possession advantage, Fabio Capello replaced Cassano with Guti. The change worked, but then Senna again tested Casilla's reflexes. The match was drawing to a close, and the scoreboard didn't at all reflect the Whites' efforts.

Intense final stage
Only 15 minutes remained until the final whistle. Robinho substituted Beckham to give the attack a boost. With an omnipresent Raúl now playing along the right wing, Madrid went on a final offensive. But, Riquelme and his Villarreal stood firm. Van Nistelrooy was unable to finish off a Robinho cross in the 82nd minute. Guti took two free kicks just outside the right side of the rival's box, but there was no one there to stike the football into the net. They were an agonising final minutes as Madrid tried to take the lead, but it was the Yellow's José Mari who gave the final scare after nearly missing a great centre pass from Riquelme. There was still time for the Whites to answer, but Roberto Carlos' rocket struck Viera in the wall. It was a just draw after an intense first match of League play.

www.realmadrid.com

Levante-Real Madrid

The Whites want to earn their first League victory

Real Madrid have travelled to Valencia for the clash against recently promoted Levante on Sunday at 7 pm CET. Both teams are hoping to earn their first League victory. José Antonio Reyes is on Real Madrid's teamsheet and might make his debut in white.

Levante, who are currently at the bottom of the League table, will face Fabio Capello's new Real Madrid. The match has been highly anticipated in the Spanish east coast city. Levante will surely want to improve on the bad image they gave in their League debut against Sevilla by conceding too many goals and losing the match. Levante manager, López Caro, and his players can't hope of having a better chance of redeming themselves against a more prestigious opponent than Real Madrid. But it won't be easy; Capello's team's potency and the history of past clashes between both teams reduce the home team's chances.

Reyes on teamsheet
Fabio Capello has included 20 men on the teamsheet. The only players that have stayed in Madrid are Ronaldo, due to recovery, and Helguera. Real Madrid's latest signing has been included in the call-up, and according to the coach, could make his debut during the match. The starting team is still a mystery, but judging on what has been seen during the training sessions, it won't be very different from the starting team that made their League debut this season against Villarreal. Capello has been very clear on the fact that he will use many forwards.

A past marked by Madrid dominance
Historically, López Caro's team has lost every match against Real Madrid. The 1963/64 season saw the first of the six Real Madrid-Levante encounters. Levante conceded a total of 16 goals, while scoring only one. The last two matches took place during the 2004/05 season. In the Santiago Bernabéu match, Levante conceded five goals, and David Beckham scored a memorable goal.

The good news for the local team is that Ronaldo, who was the worst element for Levante in the last two face-offs, won't play this time. The Brazilian striker scored two goals in each game.

Molina, Luyindula and Geijo. Levante's new signings
Levante have returned to the First Division after spending a season in the Silver Category. In order to prepare the team well for this season, they have signed important players, such as the Italian international, Tomassi, who arrived from Roma, and the French defender Frederic Dehú, who has played for Barcelona in the past. They were all signed before the League started.

The defeat against Sevilla made the Club's Board of Directors decide to sign ex-Deportivo La Coruña goalkeeper, Molina -a player with a lot of experience in the First Division-, 27 year old Congo player Luyindula -transferred from Olympique Marseille-, and Álex Geijo -who left Málaga in order to join Levante. They were all signed the last day the market for signings was open.

Having these new players, and the fact that López Caro knows Real Madrid well after training them last season, make Levante think that it is possible to beat Real Madrid. Nevertheless, it won't be easy for them. Real Madrid are determined to win the League this season and will, no doubt, want to snatch the three points of Sunday's match.

LEVANTE SQUAD

Goalkeepers

José Francisco Molina Jiménez
Pablo Oscar Cavallero

Defenders

José Alejandro Suárez Martín, Alexis
Iñaki Descarga Retegui
Ian Harte
Luis Manuel Rubiales Béjar
Álvaro Luiz Mayor de Aquino
César Martín Villar
Frédéric Déhu
Manuel Gaspar Haro, Manolo
José Marcelo Ferreira, Zé María

Midfielders

Mathieu Berson
Diego Camacho Quesada
Carmelo González Jiménez
Laurent Courtois
Felix Dja Ettien
Olivier Kapo
Sylvain N´Diaye
Riga Mustapha
Laurent Robert
Damiano Tommasi

Forwards

Alexandre Geijo Pazos
Peguy Luyindula Makanda
Albert Meyong Zé
Juan Francisco Martínez Modesto, Nino

www.realmadrid.com

4-1: Van Nistelrooy hat-trick

Solid win over a determined Levante



Three Ruud Van Nistelrooy goals and another off the boot of Antonio Cassano were enough to crush any hopes that former Real Madrid boss’s Juan Ramón López Caro’s Levante had of upsetting one of La Liga’s giants. Fabio Capello’s men dominated the match from the opening minutes, while the host side’s lone goal gave a brief air of excitement to an otherwise lopsided match. Madrid’s most recent signing, José Antonio Reyes made his team debut in the second half and showed great signs of things to come along the left wing.

Recently promoted Levante brought out their full deck of cards in order to achieve their first victory of the season. They were desperate after suffering a humiliating 4-0 loss in Matchday 1 against Sevilla. They also wanted to commemorate their 100th match in the First Division with a win, and they believed they could because coach Juan Ramón López Caro knew the rival first hand, after managing the Whites last year. Furthermore, Levante’s men were going do whatever it took to avoid Real Madrid from leaving victorious.

Unfortunately for the home side, it was an impossible undertaking. There is a vast difference in talent and skill between the two teams, and it was obvious from the first half kick off. Only during the first four minutes could the match have gone either way. Levante gave it all they could to stop the Madridistas. From then on, however, Madrid took control, stood strong in defence, and began knocking on the door of the opponent’s goal with Diarra and Emerson constantly feeding balls forward from the midfield. Danger was lurking everywhere around Cavallero’s goal, and the Levante keeper suspected it wouldn’t be long before he was beaten.

Ruud strikes first
Raúl could have netted the first goal of them match in the 7th minute, but the ball missed by centimetres following an “It’s mine, it’s yours” between Beckham and Cassano. But, Ruud Van Nistelrooy wasn’t at all forgiving, and he struck on his first chance of the game. Capello’s men’s domination paid off. It was now a matter of scoring some insurance goals to clinch the three points. The goal had scared Levante, and they were dealt another blow ten minutes later when Cassano got passed his two markers with a brilliant show of speed and skill to score the Madridista’s second.

The match couldn’t have unfolded any better; two goals in less than 30 minutes and total control of the match. The Whites were dominating in every position, and there wasn’t a hint of the surprise they were about to receive. Diego Camacho was sent off after a hard tackle on Van Nistelrooy, leaving the host side with only 10 men.

But, things can go awry in a matter of seconds in football. Madrid appeared to be entranced, and they began making mistakes when it looked like they had control of every aspect of the match. Levante came back to life thanks to a fortunate strike and Real Madrid’s passiveness after a corner kick. Ettien recovered a loose ball in front of goal and his shot found the back of the net after slipping through a web of legs and feet, stunning everyone. The match that appeared all but over took an unexpected turn with another 45 minutes left to play.

Reyes’ debut and the Dutchman’s second
Capello benched Raúl and Cassano to bring in Robinho and Reyes. The Italian coach needed some fresh legs and speed, especially since the rival was one man down with 10 players. Capello’s decision nearly paid off in the 46th minute when the Brazilian’s fancy footwork left him alone in front Cavallero, but the football found the woodwork. Reyes then found himself unmarked and crossed a great pass to Beckham, who, in turn, gave way to Van Nistelrooy. ‘Van the Man’ put Madrid back in the driver’s seat with his second of the night. The Whites took full control of the football and the match while trying to stave off a mortally wounded Levante side looking to crawl back into it. On one occasion, Diarra was nearly forced to leave the game for the dressing room, and on another, Míchel Salgado required the medical assistants to help him off the field, only to be substituted by Cicinho.

It was important to maintain verticality at this stage of the match. It was virtually in the books, with the final score being the only question mark. How many more would fall? Ruud could have scored the team’s fourth by way of a penalty kick, but he kicked the football straight at the keeper. The miss only made him want it more, and when the match was all but over, Ruud completed his hat-trick and put the exclamation point on a well-deserved victory.

MATCH SUMMARY:

LEVANTE: Cavallero; Zé María, Dehú, Alexis, Rubiales; Ettien, Bersón (N'Diaye, 56'), Camacho, Robert (Tommassi, 36'); Riga (Luyindula, 66') and Kapó.
REAL MADRID: Casillas; Salgado, Sergio Ramos, Cannavaro, Roberto Carlos; Beckham, Emerson, Diarra, Raúl (Robinho, 46’); Van Nostelrooy and Cassano (Reyes, 46’).

GOALS

0-1 (16’): Perfect triangulation between Beckham, Diarra and Cassano, who serves the assist to Van Nistelrooy, who doesn't miss.
0-2 (26’): Assist from Beckham in the midfield and Cassano beats Cavallero with a shot across the goal.
1-2 (36’): Ettien beats Casillas off a corner clearance.
1-3 (56'): Van Nistelrooy's second after a brilliant Beckham assist.
1-4 (90'): Fantastic goal by Van Nistelrooy, thus capping off his hat-trick.

REFEREE: Daudén Ibáñez of the Aragon School. Yellow cards to Diego Camacho, Robert, Tommassi and Beckham. Direct red to Déhu for tackling Van Nistelroooy from behind, and Camacho for protesting.

Match corresponding to Matchday 2 of La Liga. Many Madridista’s were in attendance at the City of Valencia Stadium for Levante’s 100th match in the First Division.

www.realmadrid.com

Real Sociedad teamsheet

Ronaldo and Salgado not called up due to injury

Fabio Capello has made public the names of the 18 players who have been called up for Real Madrid's match against Real Sociedad on Sunday at 9 pm CET at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. Pre-match preparations for the Madridistas begin at 8:30 pm at the White Colisseum, before the team make their way to the Mirasierra Suites Hotel in Madrid, where they will stay until tomorrow's match. The team's next training session will be held on Tuesday at 11 am at Real Madrid City.

Matchday 3 of the Spanish League's First Division takes place on Sunday, and Real Madrid play their second home game of the season against Real Sociedad. Combining League and Champions League play, it will be Fabio Capello's fourth match as Real Madrid's manager. After Wednesday's loss to Olympique Lyonnais, the Italian coach stated that he is contemplating making some changes to the starting eleven, although he hasn't given any clues as to who the sacrificed might be.

Nevertheless, Capello has called up every play available for the clash against the San Sebastian side, with the only excepetion being Iván Helguera, who has been left off the list due to a coaching decision. The only other missing players are Míchel Salgado and Ronaldo. The right fullback continues to recover from a niggled left knee, suffered in last Sunday's match against Levante. On the other hand, Ronaldo, who has been training with his teammates since Thursday, will most likely make his return to the teamsheet in about three weeks to one month time, assuming his evolution continues as well as it has.

TEAMSHEET:

Goalkeepers: Casillas, Diego López.
Defenders: Roberto Carlos, Sergio Ramos, Cannavaro, Raúl Bravo, Pavón, Mejía.
Midfielders: Diarra, Emerson, Cicinho, Guti, Reyes, Beckham.
Forwards: Raúl, Robinho, Van Nistelrooy, Cassano.
Not called up: Helguera (coaching decision), Salgado and Ronaldo (injured).

SCHEDULE:

Saturday 16 September: Pre-match preparations at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium @ 8:30 pm CET.
Tuesday 19 September: Training at Real Madrid City @ 11 am.

www.realmadrid.com

Real Madrid 2-0 Real Sociedad

Reyes scores his first goal as a Madridista and the Whites win their second consecutive League match

Real Madrid won their second consecutive League match on Sunday, and it was also their first victory of the 2006/07 season at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. The Whites took care of business against an organised Real Sociedad thanks to thirty minutes of great football in the second half, including a great free kick goal by Reyes and another by Beckham in injury time. The Seville native was by far the Man-of-the-Match. The Madridistas are now fourth in the table and have allowed only one goal.

Real Madrid made their return to the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium with two changes to the starting eleven. Coach Fabio Capello had warned before the match that he was thinking of making some modifications, and he followed through on his word by playing Reyes and Guti instead of Beckham and Cassano, respectively. And it was precisely the Sevillian, the last Madridista to be signed over summer, who began the game in high gear with various dangerous attacks along the right wing and by taking every free kick and corner kick. Ramos came close to beating goalkeeper Riesgo with a header in the opening minute of the match, and Raúl also had a chance seven minutes later.

But Real Sociedad had come to play their game from the initial blow of the whistle. While playing in the same 4-2-3-1 formation as Real Madrid, Jose Mari Bakero’s men looked to slow down the clash by fouling often and trying to take advantage of free kicks. Such was the case 19 minutes in, when Gari had a try on Iker Casillas, who cleared the football with his fists. Casillas was also tested by a De Cerio header in the 26th minute. Real Madrid maintained ball possession and had every intention of sealing the win as soon as possible, but they were unable to move the ball upfield quick enough and had few obvious scoring opportunities. The Whites could not find a clear path to the rival’s net despite the cross-pitch passes by Reyes and Guti, and Guti’s efforts to feed the ball to the attack. There was no urgency in defence, but they weren’t able to frustrate the rival defence either.

Van Nistelrooy shows up
Real Madrid accelerated the pace of the match in the last five minutes of the half. Raúl was responsible for getting the fans into the game with a great run to try to steal the ball, and Van Nistelrooy served up what had been the only scoring opportunity of the match. The Dutch international controlled a cross from Reyes, beat his marker, and tried to lift the ball over Riesgo. He had the right intention, but the Real Sociedad keeper sent it off course with his fingertips.

The clash followed the same script once the teams retook the pitch after halftime, and Real Madrid was more goal-hungry than ever. With Reyes obsessed with opening the scoreboard -his shot from the edge of the box missed the goal-, and Robinho doing his magic along the left wing, Capello played all his cards by benching Emerson and moving Guti to the center midfield to organise the team. The change paid off and Real Madrid were more involved than they had been all night.

Reyes seals it
After two penalties went uncalled –one on Reyes and the other on Ramos-, the fans finally got what they had come to see. Cannavaro fired the first warning shot off a corner kick -Van Nistelrooy defended in the midfield to avoid any counter attack-, and then the Dutch forward’s individual play almost found the back of the net. And then the man who had been on the hunt all night long broke the match open. Reyes’ free kick found the upper left corner of Riesgo’s goal. The brilliant strike brought the Bernabéu to its feet. After Reyes took the bench to an ovation, the game saw several more chances for Van Nistelrooy and Raúl. And when it looked like it was in the books, Beckham sealed the win with a mortal counter off a Real Sociedad corner kick. The 2-0 result gives Real Madrid the wings they need heading into their next League match against Betis in Seville.

MATCH SUMMARY:

2 – REAL MADRID: Casillas; Cicinho, Cannavaro, Sergio Ramos, Roberto Carlos (Raúl Bravo 45’); Reyes (Beckham 74’), Diarra, Emerson (Robinho 59’), Raúl; Reyes and Van Nistelrooy .
0 – REAL SOCIEDAD Riesgo; Gerardo (Garitazo 50’), Rivas, Juanito, Labaka; Aramburu, Aitor, Gari (Felicio 71`), Garrido: De Cerio (Kovacevic 49’) and Prieto.

GOALS:
1-0, min. 68: Reyes free kick.
2-0, min. 92: Beckham one-on-one with Riesgo.

REFEREE: Muñiz Fernández (Asturian school). Yellow cards to Gerardo, De Cerio, and Beckham. Direct red to Aramburu.

Matchday 3 of the Spanish League played at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.

www.realmadrid.com

An impregnable Madrid defence

Real Madrid have allowed the fewest goals in the League

Coach Fabio Capello's team have allowed only one goal in the three La Liga matches played to date. The figure confirms the difficulties of beating the solid White defence. The new players who were signed to reinforce the back line are producing results and the long-lasting debate about the problems stemming from the defence has been dropped.

Real Madrid have allowed just one goal in the the three League matches they have played. Valencia, coached by former Madridista Quique Sánchez Flores, are the only other team who have allowed that same number.
The success of the White defence is due in large part to Italian coach, Fabio Capello, who has put a lot of energy into making the back line as solid as possible since his arrival. The former Juventus boss was able to sign various players who have been fundamental in making Madrid's defence as strong as it has been during the start of the 2006/07 season.

The arrival of players like Cannavaro, Diarra and Emerson has brought the team the desired balance that hadn't been seen for several seasons. Other standouts who have gotten the year off to a great start include a rejuvenated Roberto Carlos Cicinho, who is an iron fist on the right wing, and Sergio Ramos, who is destined to become the leader of the Madridista defence. Also noteworthy is the work carried out in the centre midfield by men like Emerson, Diarra, and Guti, who demonstrated his talent against Real Sociedad during the few minutes he played in the centre of the pitch. The Madridista midfield is a crucial piece of the puzzle, as it acts as a wall that hampers the rival's efforts and makes it nearly impossible for them to break through.

The centre fullback duo also deserves special attention, as Sergio Ramos continues to feed off the game and gain invaluable experience, just as the Italian back Cannavaro did in his prime. The transalpine player will be fundamental in the young Sevillian player's progress.

So the Club's defencive nightmares have been laid to rest. If the Whites are going to accomplish the goals set out at the start of the season, including winning a title, the back line needs to continue being the impregnable wall it has been.

www.realmadrid.com

i really loved that match although raul and van nilsterooy could have done much better. i guess it wasn't their day!! better luck for next time hopefully! :D

I think the phrase "This was Raul's day" doesn't exist anymore ... but maybe Van Nistelrooy will have good matches from now on! Even if i won't be able to see the La Liga matches at least I hope to see them in Champions League and I hope they'll stay in as much as possible!

i'd shoot myself if i can't watch the la liga matches...how can u survive? anyway my parents are going crazy because i'm always glued to the TV set in every match...i hope Raul will get better though.

Well, I'm still alive... but maybe not for a long time... :( I'm happy cuz i can see the CL matches but i won't see the Real-Dinamo Kyev match... so i am veeeery sad!!!!!

Real Madrid 1 (Diarra) - Real Betis 0

OMG!!!! :shocked I thought they will play today!!! I am so stupid!! I have to find now something about the match... omg! How silly am i !!!

0-1: Diarra, first goal in style

Real Madrid land victory playing collectively

A goal by Mahamadou Diarra, his first donning the White shirt, secured the three points for his team in a new demonstration of collective commitment. The Malian international, Guti and Reyes were the most outstanding players. In spite of the push and shove of Betis, Real Madrid's defensive soundness was once again patent and praiseworhty. This win allows Real Madrid to climb to the top of the League table provisionally.

The beginning of the match offered no respite. In the space of five minutes, Real Madrid made a clear stance on the Ruiz de Lopera pitch which, by the way, was in a good state in spite of the two heavy downpours suffered by Seville just hours before the beginning of the game. Reyes, first, and a Betis defender, minutes later, who blocked a perfect one-two between Reyes and Cassano, anticipated Diarra's strike. Six minutes into the match, Real Madrid's defensive midfielder headed into the back of the net a perfect cross by Cicinho, the former's first goal with the White jersey -tonight, charcoal grey.

The goal barely made a dent in the development of the game and everything continued as it had been up to that point: clear domination by Real, although the local fans tried to push their team forward incessantly. Diarra was omnipresent in his defensive endeavour in midfield and Guti distributed the ball in attack with logical precision. Everything Real Madrid were doing up ahead smelled of danger. Reyes, who once again played down the right wing in spite of being a left-footer, was plugged in and was once and again the most incisive and creative player of Capello's side. He almost scored twice, but was left yearning for his second goal with the Whites all throughout the encounter.

Granitic defense
In defense, the game was almost placid for Cicinho, Cannavaro, Sergio Ramos and Roberto Carlos (500 games with Real Madrid). The only opportunity in the first thirty minutes for the green-and-whites came by way of Brazilian striker Sobis following a mistake by Cannavaro, but no score.

The worst news of the match, Cicinho's injury, came in the 28th minute. The Brazilian fullback twisted his knee as he attempted to deflect a pass. The first tests performed on the player bring the worst news, as it seems he has torn the anterior cruciate ligament. Raúl Bravo replaced the Brazilian, with Capello opting for this all-chore boy on the right instead of Sergio Ramos. Bravo did well and the defense continued to abort all attempts by Betis, who only produced a header on goal by Juanito after a corner kick in the last fifteen minutes of the first half. Real Madrid were perfectly positioned behind, displaying a granitic disposition that absolutely discouraged the Sevillian attackers.

Reyes and Cassano, almost always assisted by Guti, were the daggers on which the team relied to kill-off the game in counter attack, whether with own goals or setting Van Nistelrooy up. But the result stayed put as both teams retired to the dressing room for the halftime break.

Real Madrid sought to settle the match for good with their second ASAP. In the first minute of the second act, Cassano gave it to Van Nistelrooy on a silver platter, but the Dutchman lost the one-on-one against local stopper Doblas. Five minutes later, it was the Italian international himself who failed to stick his boot in after a quick, ground-ball cross by Reyes. The 2-0 was impending… or so it seemed.

Raúl and Beckham on stage
Betis resumed their disappearance act in attack as the defensive grid of Real Madrid, with four defenders and a defensive midfielder pair starring Emerson and Diarra, came shining through. And if not there was always Casillas, who had little work but perfomed impeccably. Fabio Capello started rotating the team halfway through the second half, seeking an influx of freshness in the form of Raúl and Beckham for Cassano and Reyes, respectively. Real either lost some push with the substitutions, or more likely, Betis gained speed and power with the introduction of Capi, Xisco, and Odonkor: a playmaker, a foward and a fast winger. Still, the defensive wall of the Madridistas offered no visible cracks for the Sevillians to penetrate.

In the final stretch of the match, the fans attempted a last and desperate bout of support that might give their players wings, but Real Madrid managed to steal the ball and interrupt the flow of the game time and again. Diarra, once again, multiplied his physical display and effort in benefit of the team, stealing the ball incessantly and driving the boys of Betis absolutely mad. The last minutes -including a six-minute injury-time extension- were a succession of fouls, yellow cards, and a red card for local defender Nano after elbowing Diarra in a fly-ball. Capello's men secured the three-point booty to take home to Madrid and displayed fantastic teamwork. Looking good!

MATCH REPORT:

REAL BETIS: Doblas; Melli, Juanito, Nano, Romero; Maldonado (Odonkor, 75’), Vogel (Capi, 61’), Rivera, Wagner (Xisco, 46’); Edu and Sobis.
REAL MADRID: Iker Casillas; Cicinho (Raúl Bravo, 30’), Sergio Ramos, Cannavaro, Roberto Carlos; Emerson, Diarra; Reyes (Beckham, 64’), Guti, Cassano (Raúl, 62’); Van Nistelrooy.
REFEREE: Iturralde González, Basque Commitee. Yellow cards for Cassano (26’), Melli (31’), Emerson (34’), Beckham (65’), Sergio Ramos (85’), Guti (89’), Van Nistelrooy (91’), Raúl Bravo (94') and Odonkor (96’). Direct red card for Nano (95’).

GOALS:
0-1. Min. 6. Diarra heads in a perfect service by Cicinho from the right wing.

HIGHLIGHTS: Fourth day of the Spanish 2006-07 League championship. Mtach played at the Manuel Ruiz de Lopera stadium. A few seats short of full house.

www.realmadrid.com

yea, and cas looked really good in that blue suit. it fits him well!! :D

i didn't see him :( buhuhu... :( :P

Full squad at hand

Fabio Capello holds three simultaneous training sessions; Salgado up and running

Saturday's closed-door training session will be the last the Madridistas participate in before the eagerly anticipated derby against Atletico Madrid on Sunday at 6 pm CET at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. Today's session was dedicated to tactical work and a lot of shots on goal to fine-tune the players' aim. Míchel Salgado returned to the turf and is in the final stages of his recovery.

Real Madrid boss Fabio Capello and his coaching staff organised three simultaneous training sessions at Valdebebas on Friday. With his entire squad at hand, except for Brazilian defender Cicinho, the Italian coach put the finishing touches on his preparations for Sunday's derby. Ronaldo, Helguera, Beckham, Robinho, and Cassano, who has recovered from a strain suffered in Thursday's practise match, comprised the first group.

The five Madridistas spent 30 minutes shooting on goal and finishing off corners taken by Nieto and José Manuel. Ronaldo, Cassano, Helguera and Bravo then made their way to the gymnasium, while Beckham, Robinho, Nieto and José Manuel continued polishing their aim by testing goalkeepers Diego López and Adán.
Tactical work with the same eleven

Casillas, Mejía, Cannavaro, Ramos, Roberto Carlos, Emerson, Diarra, Guti, Reyes, Raúl, and Van Nistelrooy, the starting eleven from Tuesday's Champions League match against Dynamo Kyiv, worked out separately. The possible lineup to take the pitch against Atletico worked on ball movement, passing between the lines, and shooting on Iker Casillas.

There was no adversary. When the play resulted in a goal or in the hands of the goalkeeper, the ball was given to the defense and the drill was repeated. Fabio Capello and Italo Galbiati supervised their players. The Madridista coach corrected positions and mistakes to ensure they will not be repeated on Sunday.

Once the tactical portion of the session ended, Van Nistelrooy, Emerson, Diarra, Mejía, and Cannavaro fell under the orders of fitness trainers Massimo Neri and Santiago Lozano to carry out a short obstacle course of hurdles and slalom poles to practise dribbling and short sprints. Meanwhile, a physiotherapist took a look at Roberto Carlos' niggled muscle that turned out to be just that.

The rest of the eleven, Raúl, Guti, Reyes, and Sergio Ramos, made their way to another area to continue practising their shots on Casillas and Diego López from the edge of the box. If the players are as accurate on Sunday as they were during training, a win against Atletico is all but guaranteed.

Michel Salgado made his return to the turf and is one step closer to recovering from the left knee bruise suffered against Levante. After spending all week between the gymnasium and the pool, the right fullback jogged with Raúl Bravo and Óscar Miñambres.

Everything ready

Last training behind closed doors before the derby

This marks the last of the preparation tests before the match. Since Wednesday, after the game against Dynamo Kyiv, the team has finalised all details for the 6 pm CET Sunday face-off against Atletico Madrid. This last session behind closed doors allowed Fabio Capello to further a number of tactical aspects.

The Italian manager worked with all available players behind closed doors for over an hour. The only two absentees were Salgado and Pavón, who has bruised his left knee, while the rest of the squad was joined by a number of youth system players. The training kicked off with a technical chat, which then gave way to the warm-up, stretching exercises, and a quarter-of-a-field rugby game, only to finish off as it had started, emphasising tactical and technical aspects for the impending encounter. Coach Capello had already stated during a press conference that he wanted to tune-up the defensive system to avoid the avalanche of oppportunities that Dynamo had in attack and has been emphasising defensive order all week long.

Salgado is still recovering from his injury and Capello has been training with a tentative initial lineup, precisely the same men that gave Dynamo Kyiv a whupping on Tuesday. That is, Mejía would play as right fullback and the rest as usual, with Raúl, Guti and Van Nistelrooy spearheading the attack. Ronaldo has been called up for the second consecutive time and will await his chance to play in the bench.

Harmony derby
All week long, players, officers and coaching staff have given ample proof of the current institutional harmony among both Clubs. The message is unanymous: all fans should enjoy the derby professing the respect and consideration displayed by the two leading clubs of the capital of Spain all week long. The sporting rivalry is set to commence at 6 pm, in a derby that looks and feels fascinating and thrilling from the very start.

The squad has gathered at the Hotel Mirasierra Suites for prematch preparation. The next traning is scheduled for Wednesday. There will be a two-day break in a week that will see most players join their respective national teams for international matches.

NEXT TRAINING SESSION:
Wednesday 4 September @ 11 am CET in Real Madrid City.

MEDICAL REPORT

Michel Salgado: Bruised and sprained internal lateral ligament of the left knee. Specific gym work.
Cicinho: Torn anterior cruciate ligament of the right knee. Surgery (26/09/06).
Pavón: Bruised left knee. Medical and physiotherapeutic treatment. Specific gym work.

First comeback stages

Ronaldo called up once more

With Míchel Salgado still recovering from his injury and the last-minute absence of Pavón due to a bruise on his left knee, the main novelties in the squad call-up for Sunday's derby against Atletico Madrid are Ronaldo and Helguera. This is the first time this year that both players have been called up for a League match.

Eighteen players will gather for pre-match preparation this evening at 8:30 pm CET in the Hotel Mirasierra Suites. The coaching staff already knew that they would not be able to play Salgado, who is still recovering from his knee injury, but there was a last-minute setback, with Pavón out due to a niggle. The centre back did not train today due to a bruised left knee and has not been called up. His spot will be covered by Helguera, who has made the short list for the first time this season.
Meanwhile, Brazilian star Ronaldo made the teamsheet for the second consecutive time after being called up against Dynamo Kyiv on short notice due to Van Nistelrooy's fatherhood on exactly the same day of the match. This time, Real Madrid's number '9' has made the list after playing the last ten minutes of the Tuesday Champions League clash because Capello wants him to slowly start recovering his playing form and build the necessary pace for the different competitions. He will probably feature a few minutes during the Sunday Primera Liga game as he did four dys back.

TEAMSHEET:

Keepers: Casillas and Diego López.
Defenders: Roberto Carlos, Raúl Bravo, Sergio Ramos, Cannavaro, Helguera and Mejía.
Midfielders: Beckham, Diarra, Emerson, Reyes, Guti, Robinho and Cassano.
Forwards: Ronaldo, Raúl and Van Nistelrooy.
Not called up: Salgado, Pavón and Cicinho, all injured.

Practice shots on goal

Ronaldo, Beckham and Guti completed the training session in the gym

For the first time this week, Practice shots most important in a training session. Real Madrid's players practiced shooting on goal from different angles and distances for half an hour, except for Ronaldo, Guti and Beckham, who completed the session in the gym. Cassano and Salgado continued with the last stages of their recoveries.

Real Madrid returned to work. On Thursday, the players attended a session based on an hour's hard work in the gym, and a one hour long practice match. This morning's training sesson was milder and focused mainly on practising shots on goal. Ronaldo and beckham didn't step onto the field. They preferred to complete the session in the gym. They will return to training with their teammates on Saturday's training session.

Today's session started in the warm-up room, where the players warmed up for twenty minutes doing stretching exercises and push-ups, as part of the week's programme set to tone up their muscles. The squad stepped onto the field later on and played piggy-in-the-middle prior to practicing shooting on goal.

Multiple shots
Real Madrid players did practice shots with both legs, while assistant coaches Italo Galbiati and Toni Grande passed them the ball. The squad's three goalkeepers had to practice saving their teammates shots, and Diego López performed spectacularly. The shots practiced were volleys and set pieces, and every player managed to score, especially Roberto Carlos, who normally proves to be the best in these rounds due his powerful left leg.

Emerson with Cassano
The Italian forward proved that his return to the team is imminent. He jogged and sprinted while being supervised by Massimo Neri. He was joined by Emerson at the end of the session. Coach Fabio Capello thinks that the Brazilian midfielder still lacks some speed, so he made him sprint with Cassano. Real Madrid's coach wants Emerson to be in the best possible form so that the team's midfield can be strengthened.

Guti left the pitch before the session ended. He played piggy-in-the-middle with his teammates, but joined Beckham and Ronaldo in the gym after talking to Capello. Guti has shown this week that he is one of the fittest players on the team, and that he works very hard during training sessions.

Míchel Salgado continued working with recovery expert José Luis San Martín. It seems he will rejoin the squad on Tuesday's training session in order to be ready to play in the match against Getafe.

Today's session has served to build up the players more for the start of next week, when they will start working exclusively on their next League match against Getafe. The match will be followed by the important clashes against Steaua Bucharest and Barcelona.

TRAINING SCHEDULE:
Saturday October 7 @ 10 am CET, at Real Madrid City.

MEDICAL REPORT

Míchel Salgado: bruised and strained internal lateral ligament of the left knee. Specific gym and field work.
Cicinho: Torn anterior cruciate ligament of the right knee. Underwent surgery on September 26.
Reyes: Mild fibrial tear on right abductor. Medical treatment and physiotherapy. Specific gym work.
Cassano: Strained left abductor. Medical treatment and physiotherapy. Specific gym and field work.

www.realmadrid.com

Getafe-Real Madrid preview

Whites looking for first win in three visits to the Coliseum

After a nearly two week stoppage for Euro 2008 qualifiers and international friendlies, La Liga returns with another Madrileño derby. Getafe and Real Madrid square off in Southern Madrid at the Alfonso Pérez Coliseum tonight at 8 pm CET. The Whites will be looking for their first win in their third visit to the cross-town stadium, but will be without the services of Cicinho, Salgado, Ramos and Reyes. Cannavaro, who trained in solitary on Friday, will be a last minute decision. The match could see the Ronaldo-Van Nistelrooy double-striker debut.

There will be several changes to Fabio Capello's teamsheet for Saturday's match against Getafe. The Italian boss announced lineup rotations with heavyweight battles against Steaua Bucharest and Barcelona looming around the corner. There are various options to fill the right fullback position that has been left unclaimed due to injuries to Cicinho and Salgado, although Mejía parts as favourite. Capello also needs to find a replacement for one or both centre back spots, as Sergio is serving a one game suspension and Cannavaro has returned from the Italian national team with a niggled left knee. Pavón and Raúl Bravo are ready to play, and the Madridista defence has big shoes to fill against a tough rival. With José Antonio Reyes also injured, David Beckham will return to the starting eleven. For various circumstances, the Englishman has never played against Getafe at the Alfonso Pérez Coliseum.

Two visits, zero wins
Getafe's home plays a key role in Saturday's game. Over the last two seasons, during which Getafe have become a fixture in Spain's first division, Real Madrid have not been able to win there. The Whites fell 2-1 two years ago, and last year were only able to draw 1-1. That said, Madrid will be looking for their first win at the Coliseum, while boasting the support of several fan clubs and Madridistas from the southern communities of the province.

Will we see the double-striker duo?
While the defence has been plagued by injury, the spotlight has been cast on the Real Madrid attack for most of the week. Capello, who has reiterated that his teams always play with "two forwards," lined Van Nistelrooy up alongside Ronaldo for various drills throughtout last week's training sessions. Depite playing in the exact same position, the lethal pair, aptly dubbed the 'double nines', have different characteristics, thus complementing one another. It is still not known whether they will both be in the starting lineup, but there is no doubt that Capello will play his attacking duo soon.

Getafe also troubled
The home side aren't without their own problems. Getafe have only scored three goals in League play, and tonight they are up against the best defence in the competition. They are also without the services of their star forward, Dani Güiza, who is suffering from gastroenteritis. Coach Bernd Schuster will also be without Uruguayan attacking midfielder Albín. ‘Geta's’ problems in the creative and finishing zones could spell their demise in what will be Real Madrid's second cross-town derby in two matchdays.

Getafe-Real Madrid

Beckham, Cassano, Helguera, and Raúl Bravo are in the starting lineup

There are several fresh faces in Real Madrid's starting eleven for tonight's match against Getafe. Beckham and Cassano have replaced Reyes and Raúl, respectively, while Helguera and Raúl Bravo will take their place in the centre of the defence as Ramos is serving his one game suspension and Cannavaro returned from playing with Italy with a niggled knee.

LINEUPS:

Getafe: Abbondanzieri; Cortés, Belenguer, Alexis, Paredes; Cotelo, Celestini, Casquero, Redondo; Manu del Moral, Pachón.

Real Madrid: Casillas; Mejía, Helguera, Raúl Bravo, Roberto Carlos; Emerson, Diarra, Beckham, Cassano, Guti; Van Nistelrooy.

Primera Liga Preview: Getafe - Real Madrid



In a bid to reinvigorate his team, Real Madrid boss Fabio Capello has tested a new system for the local derby against Getafe on Saturday evening.

In a bid to reinvigorate his team, Real Madrid boss Fabio Capello has tested a new system for the local derby against Getafe on Saturday evening.

The Italian coach knows that with every game in charge comes pressure and that while his team is not winning convincingly critics will continue to voice their unease.

Attacking Football

Madrid maybe fourth in the table and remain undefeated in the league, but a display of enterprising and open attacking football is what is being demanded by the club's success-starved supporters.

Capello recognises that his team need a lift and when they visit the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez it could signal the start of an attacking partnership that has already lifted the spirits around the Bernabéu.

In training this week, Madrid have tried several combinations but in a game against the C team Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Ronaldo played up front together for the first time.

El Clásico

Reports in the Spanish press state that the former Juve and Milan coach has decided to look for a different formula in attack ahead of the visit of FC Barcelona on October 22.

But if the success that the Dutchman and the Brazilian enjoyed in the practice encounter, which saw Van Nistelrooy score a hat-trick and Ronaldo a brace, then it could become a more permanent fixture.

For Getafe it is once again a chance to prove that they can mix it with the big boys as they are now top flight regulars having survived for two seasons after winning promotion in 2004.

The team, based in the Madrid suburbs, may not win many headlines, but their coach knows how to attract the attention of the media.

Missing Out

During the summer he was touted as a possible contender for the job at Real Madrid, the club he graced as a player, and in the build-up to this encounter he has been making his feelings known about missing out.

"If I was in charge over there then you would see a different Madrid," the outspoken German explained. "I have a different philosophy to Capello's, but the club went for experience.

"They wanted someone with a history full of trophies. His philosophy has brought him success, so why should he change."

Despite his self-confidence, Schuster has yet to win a game against Madrid having lost twice while in charge of Levante two seasons ago before suffering one defeat and earning a draw last term with Getafe.

Being a local derby bravado is the order of the day but the home side in thei match have failed to score in their last three league games and have won only two of their openig five games this term.

TEAM NEWS

Getafe: Schuster has five former Madrid players in his squad, but only David Belenguer and Javier Paredes as re likely to start, while Manuel Tena and Rubén Pulido will be on the bench and Francisco Sousa is out injured. Sergio Pachón is back from injury after playing only 121 minutes in the five league games this term, while Daniel Güiza is out with a stomach injury, while Juan Albín and Veljko Paunovic are also doubtful.

Real Madrid: There was more bad news for Real Madrid this week when Fabio Cannavaro returned from international duty with a knee injury that is set to sideline him for this game. Already without Sergio Ramos, through suspension, Capello will have to find a new central defensive partnership. The Italian trainer also has to choose whether to partner Ronaldo and Van Nistelrooy up front. If he does then Emerson looks set to be the player who will drop to the bench as Guti and Mahamadou Diarra willplay in the middle, with David Beckham on the right and Raúl on the left of a 4-4-2.

PREDICTION

Schuster's ability to talk up his team is impressive, but against Madrid quality should tell. Getafe are unbeaten in their two home encounters this season, but with this being only a short journey for Fabio Capello's side the players should not be able to use the excuse of fatigue. If indeed the Italian does try the Ronaldo and Van Nistelrooy partnership then Madird could be in for an exciting afternoon.

www.goal.com

i can't believe they lost 1-0 against Getafe!!
i hope they'll do better against barcelona!!!

1-0: First defeat

A Getafe header hands Real Madrid their first League loss of the season



Coach Fabio Capello took a gamble, but Saturday's game against Getafe didn't turn out how the attacking scheme might have suggested. In the second half, the Italian boss played the 'double nines' -Van Nistelrooy and Ronaldo- and also made room for Raúl, who started the match on the bench. The game ended with a Real Madrid team playing with four attackers, but there was no way to get the ball into ‘Pato’ Abbondanzieri's net. It's Real Madrid's first League loss of the 2006/07 season.

Fabio Capello's first goal was to piece together a defence that has been plagued by injuries. Cannavaro was finally scratched from the game and became the third starting Real Madrid defender who wouldn't see any action. Thus, the Italian boss was forced to call on his bench, and Mejía returned as right fullback, Raúl Bravo, the utility man, played as a centre back in Sergio Ramos' place, and Iván Helguera substituted the coach's fellow countryman.
The improvised defence worked in the first half. They did conceed a few chances, but Casquero was the only player to really test Iker Casillas. Any other attack was killed off before reaching the Madridista box, but Getafe didn't give in and continued to touch and pass the ball.

Offensive transition
The attack was a complete different story. Capello rested Raúl and decided to hold back the 'double nines' attacking duo, meaning Ronaldo joined the Madridista captain on the bench for kick-off. The captain's armband found its way to Guti, but number '14' was unable to provide tempo to the game.

Getafe coach Bernd Schuster's defensive scheme was also to blame. Every threat the Whites created in front of ‘Pato’ Abbondanzieri's box in the first half was thwarted. Van Nistelrooy, Cassano, and Diarra tried to break through, but it wasn't Madrid's day in the creative department of the game. The highlight of the first half was the reliable defence. With Raúl and Ronaldo warming up on the sidelines, the attack would have to wait until the second half to show their stuff.

'Double nines' debut
With both players taking the pitch after the half, Real Madrid reorganised on the turf. Guti took over Diarra's place in the midfield, Raúl moved freely throughout the attack while exchanging positions with Beckham, and Ronie and Van Nistelrooy were set as strikers. Capello's official 'double nines' debut initially paid off as Madrid retook control of the game and Guti became more involved.

The changes boosted Real Madrid and the team went in search of the three points. With the Ronie-Van Nistelrooy threat looming, any play that closed in on Abbondanzieri's net could spell trouble for the home side, but every clear chance of scoring was late in coming. Morever, Getafe would strike first thanks to an Alexis header off a corner kick. The home team took the lead just when Madrid were at their best, but there was still a half an hour to pull even.

Looking to equalise
Madrid did everything they could to get back into the game, but the host's defence held strong. The Whites only close call was disallowed as Van Nistelrooy was caught offside. Capello substituted Robinho for Beckham, but the Brazilian was just as unfortunate when up against the Getafe back line. The Madridistas gave it their best effort until the final whistle, but it just wasn't their night. The Coliseum curse continues as three trips to the Alfonso Pérez Stadium have resulted in zero victories.

MATCH SUMMARY:

GETAFE CF:
‘Pato’ Abbondanzieri; Cortés, Belenguer, Alexis, Paredes; Cotelo (Pulido, min. 85), Celestini, Casquero, Redondo (Licht, min. 77); Manu del Moral (Alberto, min. 69) and Pachón.
REAL MADRID CF:
Casillas; Mejía, Helguera, Raúl Bravo, Roberto Carlos; Emerson, Diarra (Raúl, min. 46); Beckham (Robinho, min. 66), Guti, Cassano (Ronaldo, min. 46); Van Nistelrooy.

GOALS:
1-0: Min. 59. Alexis header off a corner kick.

REFEREE:
González Vázquez (Galician school). Yellow cards to Diarra (min. 41), Cotelo (min. 50), Paredes (min. 54), Robinho (min. 84) and Van Nistelrooy (min. 90). Ronaldo sent off for being booked twice (min. 81 and 90).

NOTES:
Matchday 6 of the Primera Liga played at the Alfonso Pérez Coliseum in Getafe. Tennis star Rafa Nadal watched the match from the Presidential Balcony.

www.realmadrid.com

OMG i can't believe real lost i wanted them 2 win so they would be on a high for the barca game comin up.

woz reyes on the bench or is he still injured?

El Clásico Preview: Real Madrid - FC Barcelona

Real Madrid regained their confidence while FC Barcelona suffered in midweek, but will either result really have any bearing when these two teams meet in the monumental meeting on Sunday?

The fact that Real Madrid played well in midweek and FC Barcelona did not has changed the outlook for this monumental encounter in the media's eyes.

It was only a few days ago that Fabio Capello, reportedly, stood in front of his squad at training and threatened to resign if things did not improve.

The Italian was so frustrated by his team's dreadful display against Getafe that he was ready to call his players' bluff in order to produce the kind of performance he was demanding.

Every time a meeting between these two clubs comes around, the analysis and insight into who will win, as well as how and why, is manipulated and exagerated to the limit.

Neither Madrid nor Barça have been outstanding this term, but it is certainly the home team for this fixture that needed a morale boost more than their opponents.

When Ramón Calderón was ushered in as the new president the only thing that everyone connected to the club demanded was improvement.

The expectations were given a boost when Capello was brough back as coach for a second time and several new players arrived, including Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Emerson, Fabio Cannavaro and Mahamadou Diarra.

Turning around the situation at the Santiago Bernabéu was never going to be an easy task after several seasons of internal and external strife.

Despite that being a common conception, Capello was expected to mend everything within this first few days and patience was something that the board, allegedly, and the fans did not have.

The dour goalless draw on the opening day was followed by a victory against nine-man Levante that was hailed as the turning point, before all the new-found bravado was quoshed once again by an inept performance in Lyon.

Real Sociedad were defeated with an unconvincing display, before the defence showed that it is capable by holding out to earn maximum points at Real Betis.

There was more of the same against Dynamo Kyiv as the Ukrainian side were stunned in the Champions League, but it was yet another false dawn.

After drawing with Atlético, Capello's side put in their worst performance of the season against Getafe last weekend; a display which even the fact of missing several first team regulars will not excuse.

With Madrid waiting desperately for a sign that this will not be a fourth season without a real challenge for silverware, the win in Romania on Tuesday has been pounced upon.

It was indeed a commanding performance and has, no doubt, lifted the players, but they must be careful not to believe that they have arrived.

As for Barça, they are three point3 clear at the top of the table yet all is not well at Camp Nou.

Despite not having lost a game this season, as well as the statistics showing that the team has scored 16 league goals and conceded only three, there appears to be a lack of confidence.

Rafael Márquez was even quoted as saying that he believes other teams are beginning to work out how to play against Frank Rijkaard's side.

Added to that the form of star player Ronaldinho and the injury to Samuel Eto'o have caused major concern, even if the public soundbites coming from the squad do not elude to it.

The main reason that Barcelona are being attacked is because of their performance against Chelsea on Wednesday evening when they looked blunt going forward and allowed the Blues too much space at the back.

Losing games has become a rarity for the Blaugrana in recent seasons and that is why each time they do not perform or taste defeat the media treat it as a mini-crisis.

In the middle of September last year, Barça were beaten at Atlético before drawing at home to Valencia which left them in 11th place in the league.

After beating Betis, the team then drew at home to Real Zaragoza and away at Depor as people claimed the bubble had finally burst.

Winning can become a habit, so the old saying goes, but maintaining the level of performance is an extra pressure that is ever-present at the Catalan club these days.

One real truth is that Barça will have configure a new attacking strategy before they travel to the Bernabéu as the trident that played at Stamford Bridge looked completely ineffective without Eto'o.

To say that Eidur Gudjohnsen is not at the same level as the rest of the players is completely unfair on a player that is far more comfortable in the attacking midfield role rather than as the main striker.

While Javier Saviola sat on the bench throughout the game in London, Leo Messi ensured that he will not win a regular place as the spearhead of the front trio.

It is a conundrum that Rijkaard will have to find the answer to, and quickly.

On Sunday evening the whole of Spain will come to a standstill to witness whether Madrid have turned a corner and whether Barça have found a replacement to lead them up front.

Often grudge matches around the world fail to live up to the hype that surrounds them beforehand, but when Madrid meet Barça the games are usually thrilling.

It is a cliché, but form really does not count when these two meet head-on and whoever won and lost in Europe will not be affected by that when kick off arrives.

Whoever wins this encounter will not be automatic certs to finish above the other or, indeed, to go on and win some silverware.

What the winner is assured of, however, is bragging rights for the next few months and huge boost in confidence that could silence many critics, of which both team have many.

FORM GUIDE

Real Madrid

DREW 27/8 Lge Villarreal (H) 0-0
WON 10/9 Lge Levante (A) 4-1
LOST 13/9 CL Lyon (A) 0-2
WON 17/9 Lge Sociedad (H) 2-0
WON 23/9 Lge Betis (A) 1-0
WON 26/9 CL Dynamo Kiev (H) 5-1
DREW 1/10 Lge Atlético (H) 1-1
LOST 14/10 Lge Getafe (A) 0-1
WON 17/10 CL Steaua Bucharest 4-1

FC Barcelona

WON 28/8 Lge Celta (A) 3-2
WON 9/9 Lge Osasuna (H) 3-0
WON 12/9 CL Levski Sofia (H) 5-0
WON 17/9 Lge Racing (A) 3-0
DREW 24/9 Lge Valencia (H) 1-1
DREW 27/9 CL Werder Bremen (A) 1-1
WON 30/9 Lge Athletic (A) 3-1
WON 15/10 Lge Sevilla (H) 3-1
LOST 18/10 CL Chelsea (a) 0-1

TEAM NEWS

Real Madrid: After the win in the Champions League, Capello could well retain the same starting side with Robinho preferred on the wing to José Antonio Reyes, despite the on-loan Spaniard having recovered from a thigh injury. Ronaldo will definitely miss out against his former club after the appeal against his sending off in the defeat against Getafe was rejected.

FC Barcelona: Carles Puyol is being tipped to play after looking set to recover from a blow to his back that forced him out of the Chelsea defeat midway through the second half. Juliano Belletti will not be back from his shoulder injury in time to make the trip and, of course, Eto'o is still in the early stages of his comeback from a knee ligament operation.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Real Madrid: Sergio Ramos, Robinho

It would be flippant to say everyone on the pitch, so Sergio Ramos will be of particular interest after the Spanish defender was shown up time and again last season as Ronaldinho ran rings around him in the 3-0 victory at the Bernabéu. The calls to see more or Robinho were answered in midweek when the Brazilian was man-of-the-match against Steaua, but he will have to maintain that form with Reyes waiting on the side.

FC Barcelona: Eidur Gudjohnsen, Ronaldinho

Without Eto'o the team have struggled to create chances from open play, but if Gudjohnsen can put in a strong performance against Madrid then he will continue to start ahead of Javier Saviola. As for Ronaldinho, his talent is undoubted but whether he is in the right physical condition to repeat the heroics of last season will only be answered on Sunday. If he performs, then Barça will function.

PREDICTION

While Madrid needed the victory in the Champions League to recover their confidence, Barça's defeat in London may well have done them some good to. Predicting the outcome of this encounter is about as worthwhile as flipping a coin, so sitting comfortably on the fence appears to be the best option.

www.goal.com

Real Madrid-Barcelona preview

The Clasico fades to White



The “match of the year”, the “match of the century”, the “great clash”, however you want to call it, is upon us. This is the stuff that the Real Madrid-Barcelona meetings are made of, a match-up that will be played out at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium on Sunday (today) at 9 pm Central European Time (Realmadrid.com live), and will be seen by millions of viewers worldwide. Initially, the stakes and the match are pretty even, although it is Capello's men who are in more dire need of the points tonight. It would allow them to cut back the current 5-point difference with the leaders of La Liga.

If we look closely at the current state of form of both teams, it is probably Fabio Capello's boys who are looking a tad better, at least from the point of view of excitement and self-confidence. The Real Madrid and Barcelona Champions League games this mid-week were a morale boost for the Whites, with their appalling victory in Romania, and a blow for the red-and-blues, who lost to Chelsea in London.

Preparing the Clasico
Their respective states of mind has been evident throughout the week at the training ground, where they prepared for the clash. The 4 training sessions of the squad of Real since Wednesday cast players with a smile on their faces and with great physical exertion and tactical intensity. Capello has instilled upon the team the importance of the clash, wrking different technical and tactical aspects such as pressurising, speed, possession, and nimble ball movement.

The optimum result against Steaua has convinced the Italian manager to place his trust in the same starting lineup that stepped out onto the Bucharest Ghencea Stadium pitch. These eleven players, plus Reyes, back after his recovery, have been the mainstay of the training sessions this week: Casillas on goal; Helguera will keep his position in the centre of the defence next to Cannavaro; Sergio Ramos as right back and Roberto Carlos as left back; Diarra and Emerson as roaming midfielders, with Guti and Raúl as playmakers and ball feeders of attacking spearheads Robinho -best man in Bucharest- and Van Nistelrooy -who scored after magnificent chip.

Raul, the Clasico veteran
Raúl González, the Merengue captain, is the clash's “veteran” with 23 appearances all in all in the Clasico against Barça. He is also the current top scorer, with 9 strikes. The presence of Real Madrid's captain is an added asset and a reliable safeguard for his team, especially if we take into account that he has recovered his scoring edge during these last few matches.

Ronaldo and Etoo absent
The “9's” of both teams will be absent for different reasons. Former Real Madrid player Etoo is recovering from a serious injury that will keep him 5 to 6 months on dry dock. Equally important is the absence of Ronaldo for the Madridistas. The truth is the Whites have no “luck” with the decisions of the disciplinary committee, who have decided against Real Madrid's appeal asking for a cautionary suspension of Ronaldo's one-game ban. It would be useless to list here the number of times that other teams were given favourable treatment when they had to face Real Madrid. No surprises here!

Fabio Capello & Frank Rijkaard
No direct clashes yet, so this will mark Fabio Capello's and Frank Rijkaard's first confrontation in a field of play… although from the sidelines. Both coincided in the same team, back when the Italian coached Milan, including one of their key foreign players, the Dutchman. Prior clash stats at the Bernabéu have a single precedent for the Italian coach from which to draw information. Fabio Capello signed a clear 2-0 victory over Barcelona during the home game in 1996-97. Meanwhile, Rijkaard has been three times at the Bernabéu as manager of the Catalan team. His stats look good, with two victories and one defeat.

A long history
To speak of the Clasico Clásico is to speak of the “match of the year par excellence.” Few clashes receive the media coverage and general public interest and attention that a Real Madrid-Barcelona or vice versa receive. We would go so far as saying that it might be the number 1 worldwide clash in football. This even includes many people who generally don't follow football at all, but it's not strange when two of the world's most prominent and best clubs face each other.

These clashes go back to the beginning of the 20th century, but in the League they began with the League's first edition, the 1928-29 season, especifically on 9 May 1929 in Madrid. Then, the visiting team won 1-0. Still, the statistics are clearly in favour of the Whites: 76 matches in home turf, 48 local victories, 14 draws, and 14 Catalan upsets. Likewise, the goal difference is very favourable for Real Madrid, with 161 v 80 in the goals scored/goals conceded department.

Pérez Burrrul, an experienced referee
With 158 games officiated in the Primera Liga, Pérez Burrull is one of the First Division's most experienced referees. He has officiated 24 games with Real Madrid as a contender, with the team of the capital of Spain winning 9, drawing 9, and losing 6. This will be his fourth time umpiring a Clasico, with 2 victories for Barça and a draw.

Fixture list against Barcelona

Reyes returns; Ronaldo finally out



Fabio Capello announced his eighteen-man list for the great Clasico on Sunday. Reyes returns after recovering from his groin strain, a small rupture of his right adductor muscle. Meanwhile, the Disciplinary Committe has confirmed Ronaldo's two yellow cards against Getafe, who is therefore suspended.

After the Champions League victory against Steaua Bucharest, Capello has called up eighteen men for the Sunday Clasico, set to begin at 9 pm CET. The list is as expected, without the presence of any youth players and the known absences of injured players Míchel Salgado and Cicinho, and of striker Ronaldo, who is suspended. The Whites are revved up and ready to give their all in their clash against Barça.

José Antonio Reyes returned to group dicipline on Thursday, precisely the same day that David Beckham -left knee rotulian tendon tendinitis- and José María Gutiérrez, 'Guti' -bruised left ankle- first featured in the injury list and began working on their own in the gym.

Still, the injury sympotms and pain have been subsiding throughout the last two days. Nevertheless, the English winger and the Spanish playmaker will join Reyes in the call-up. Everything indicates that the three Real Madrid footballers will be in perfect shape and ready to feature in the clash against Barcelona.

PRE-MATCH PREP: Sarturday 21, 8:30 pm CET, Santiago Bernabéu stadium.
NEXT TRAINING SESSION: Monday, 23 October, 11 am CET, Real Madrid City @ Valdebebas.

REAL MADRID-BARCELONA FIXTURE LIST

Goalkeepers: Casillas & Diego López.
Defenders: Sergio Ramos, Cannavaro, Pavón, Mejía, Roberto Carlos, Raúl Bravo and Helguera.
Midfielders: Beckham, Emerson, Diarra, Guti, Reyes and Robinho.
Forwards: Raúl, Cassano and Van Nistelrooy.
Not called up: Salgado and Cicinho, injured, and Ronaldo, suspended.

2-0: Killer Madrid

The goals of Raul and Van Nistelrooy in the Clasico, white gold



Deserved and vibrant victory of Real Madrid. Capello's men gave a lesson in positioning, dedication, commitment and scpring ability, with the two goals by Raúl and Van Nistelrooy at the beginning of both halves that absolutely subdued Barcelona. Once again, Guti was the master conductor and the pacemaker of the team. Real Madrid stampede back to Champions League positions, 4th in La Liga.

Act 1: The beginning
The game began with the atmosphere that makes this Clasico match so special and just twenty minutes after an almost full stadium -people came en masse from 6:30 pm CET to watch the Brazil F1 race on the electronic scoreboards- hailed Fernando Alonso's second consecutive F1 championship. It was time to translate the week's words, tactics and training sessions into action. And so, the game kicked off. Real Madrid seemed to know their lesson well from the initial whistle. The best proof of this is that only 2 minutes into the game, they were already ahead 1-0 following a perfectly executed play.

Raul's spell still going strong
The team' motivation was obvious from the very first play. Robinho received a pass on the left wing. He gave it to Guti, who changed sides and delivered the ball to Ramos. The Madridista right back lifted his head and set it up for Raul with an exquisite cross that the Captain headed into the angle of Valdés' goal. The Bernabéu exploded into a frenzy of chants, cheers, hails and ovations. It was well worth it. The match was on the right path. The Captain of the Whites scored his second in the League and confirms the good scoring patch he's going through... in his favourite game of all. Madrid moved the ball with good sense, from side to side, with Robinho and Ramos very active on the sidelines and Guti constructing his team's play as only he is capable of. It seemed like the second was just a question of minutes: Robinho dribbled and swerved past Zambrotta, served it, and Raúl kicked the ball against the crossbeam.

Act 2: Messi comes on stage
The game was looking like a coat of Whitewash, but Messi made his first appearance and gave his first warning to Roberto Carlos of what was coming up. Ronaldinho was choking on the left, receiving almost no balls and alternatively covered by Ramos and Raúl, so he decided to change sides. Meanwhile, Robinho kept at it like a sledgehammer down his wing, this time with a shot from just outside the box that Valdés stoipped (minute 18.) And Messi did likewise just five minutes after. Halfway through the first half, the scene took an unexpected U-turn. Deco, Iniesta and Xavi took command of the midfield, overpowering their counterparts Emerson, Diarra and Guti and allowing Barcelona to create dangerous chances. Gudjohnsen was an island, hag-ridden and depressed, fighting for the free spaces that neither Helguera nor Cannavaro allowed him. And so, Barcelona's initiative befell on Messi's speed.

The Argentine winger was the only one to bring danger to the vicinity of Casillas' goal, driving past Roberto Carlos and Cannavaro to serve Gudjohnsen the goal, but the Icelander missed the clearest chance of the red-and-blues during the first half (minute 24). And once again, three minutes later, Messi saw himself all alone inside Madrid's box, but he failed to net the ball. It seemed like Real Madrid had lost cohesion as the minutes went by. The midfield-forward line gap was ever-growing and players were even missing easy passes. Only Van Nistelrooy managed to put Valdés to the test 15 minutes away from halftime. In any event, the Whites kept their cool in defence, not allowing the Catalan team to create and penetrate easily in the last third of the picth. Robinho remained very active on his sideline and crossing into the middle, but that was all she wrote. Halftime.

Denoument: Real Madrid finish off Barça
The beginnig of the second half was an exact replica of the first: Real Madrid came out with a killer instinct. This time, it was Van Nistelrooy who scored the night's second after a perfect counterattack initiated and directed by Guti. The Merengue playmaker sliced the ball past a few Barcelona defenders in the three-fourths field line and passed it to Robinho, who was approaching from the right. Robinho set it up for Van Nistelrooy, who scored with the tip of his left boot against an oncoming Valdés. Once again, a great goal! Barça sinking to the depths of depression precisely when they were trying to catch some breath and Madrid touching the edge of heaven. Barcelona didn't manage to maintain ball possession as easily as in the first half, and now it was the Whites who controlled the ball and pace with the likes of Guti, Emerson and Diarra. The chances started trickling down, and in a very similar gesture to the one that allowed him to score a beautiful goal in Bucharest, Real Madrid's striker Van Nistelrooy chipped the ball over Valdés but, once again, the woodwork denied his team. The following opportunities came by way of Robinho and Emerson.

The Bernabéu was having fun and victory was near. Van Nistelrooy had the last chance to score following a dangerous run by Messi. Once again, Guti set him up but Valdés deflected the ball. Barcelona were a broken toy and Real Madrid were jumping from joy with these hard- and rightfully-earned three points. Capello repeats the exact same result as ten years back. On that occasion, Real Madrid won the League.

MATCH REPORT:

2 – REAL MADRID:
Casillas; Sergio Ramos, Cannavaro, Helguera, Roberto Carlos; Raúl, Diarra, Emerson: Guti (Beckham 82’) nad Van Nistelrooy (Reyes 79’).
0 – BARCELONA:
Valdés; Zambrotta, Thuram, Puyol, Sylvinho; Xavi, Deco (Giuly 54’), Iniesta; Messi, Ronaldinho and Gudjonhnsen (Saviola 64’).

GOALS:
1-0, min. 2: Raul heads a cross pass by Ramos and into the angle of the goal.
2-0, min. 50: Van Nistelrooy, finishing a perfect counter-attack.
REFEREE:
Pérez Burrull, Asturian Refereeing Association. Booked Emerson (20’), Zambrotta (53’), Van Nistelrooy (54’), Guti (70’), Ronaldinho (81’) and Beckham (85´).
HIGHLIGHTS:
Seventh matchday of the Spanish League played at a Santiago Bernabéu stadium filled to capacity.

www.realmadrid.com

RM-Nastic: Back to La Liga

Ten points and several spots in the table mark the difference 56 years laters

Following the Clasico hangover and the King's Cup debut, Real Madrid return to La Liga tonight with three points in play at the Nou Estadi in Tarragona. All signs point to the same starting eleven that took the field last weekend against Barcelona. The Madridistas square off against Nastic, who are finally back in the First Division 56 years after fact, and who are looking for their first home win of the season, while the Whites hope to remain undefeated in League play.

In between King's Cup play and the Champions League, La Liga is back for another exciting weekend. Real Madrid were in Ecija last Tuesday to play the first leg of the Round of 16 tie in the knockout competition, but were only able to muster up a draw at the Municipal de San Pablo Stadium. Next Wednesday the Whites host Steaua Bucharest at the Santiago Bernabéu while still savouring their 4-1 victory in Romania. But first comes Matchday 8 of the League, and Real Madrid head to Nastic's Nou Estadi in Tarragona. The home side's best weapon may be their extra motivation to defeat a giant like Real Madrid, while the Whites head into the match oozing with confidence following the Clasico win.

Raúl, Capello and Robinho
Fabio Capello landed in Reus on Friday with his full squad other than David Beckham and Míchel Salgado. The English midfielder has yet to recover from a niggled thigh and knee suffered against Ecija, while the Spanish right-back is healthy again but hasn't reached ideal playing form. Meanwhile, Ronaldo has returned to the team after serving a one game suspension against Barcelona. The Brazilian has yet to score an official goal this season.

In all likelihood, Robinho will be back in the starting eleven against Nastic. The fact of the matter is that the team's positive turnaround since their disappointing defeat to Getafe coincides with his return to the pitch. Coincidence or reality, it looks like coach Fabio Capello is counting on the Brazilian to be on the pitch for kick-off at the Nou Estadi. This will be La Liga match number 50 for the Italian boss at the helm of Real Madrid. His 31 wins, 13 draws, and five losses are a good reason for Madridistas to remain optimistic. At the same time, Raúl will be playing in his 419th match in Primera, just hours before his 12 year anniversary since debuting with Real Madrid's First Team.

56 years later…
… Nastic of Tarragona are back in Spain's First Division, but coach Luis César Sampedro's men haven't gotten off to the best start. After opening the season with a win against Espanyol in Montjüic, the Catalan side have one draw and five losses, situating them in the relegation zone of the table with four points, and giving them the distinction of being the team that has allowed the most goals in the League. Defending the Nastic goal is former Madridista, Bizarri, who played for the Whites in 1999/00.

Nastic come into tonight's match reeling off a King's Cup loss to Valladolid and the pressure of not having won at the Nou Estadi since being promoted. They will have a chance of a lifetime to turn things around against Real Madrid. Another familiar face to Madridistas will be in attendance tonight. Javier García Portillo, who is unable to play due to contract issues, will cheer on his new team from the stands.

History on Madrid's side
Real Madrid and Nastic have squared off six times in League history. The Whites have the edge with three wins, two draws, and one loss. The statistics also favour the Madridistas, who have scored 18 goals against tonight's rival, while allowing just 11. Of note is how often three goals have been scored when these two teams have played each other (3-3, 1-3, 3-3, 3-1, and 0-3), except for their last meeting during the 1949/50 season when the Whites scored five times

Squad list against Celta

Míchel Salgado finally not in to play it safe



The Galician fullback trained with the rest of the group but was not included in the squad list for the match that will see Real Madrid face his former team because Capello considers that it's better to be safe than sorry; another blow at this point could mean another two months of injury. On the other hand, Iván Helguera seems to have recovered from his muscular problems and has finally made the eighteen-man list for the Bernabéu encounter.

Below is the squad list for the Sunday 5 November, 7 pm CET match against Celta Vigo to be played at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium:

Goalkeepers: Casillas & Diego López.
Defenders: Roberto Carlos, Sergio Ramos, Cannavaro, Raúl Bravo, Helguera, Mejía & Pavón.
Midfielders: Diarra, Emerson, Robinho, Reyes, Guti & Beckham.
Forwards: Raúl, Ronaldo & Van Nistelrooy.

www.realmadrid.com

1-2: First home defeat for Capello

After 30 games undefeated at the Bernabéu, Real Madrid yield the three points



The good patch is officially over. After 30 matches undefeated at the home turf of the Santiago Bernabéu, Fabio Capello's Real Madrid lost the three points in play. Celta defended with good sense and capitalised on two isolated chances, which were enough to beat Real Madrid. Ronaldo was in the starting eleven once more, but Pinto's exceptional performance denied the Brazilian on three occasions and the Whites quite a few others... Undeserved punishment.

All the flashlights pointed in the same direction just before the game started: Ronaldo. The number ‘9’ was a first choice player for Real Madrid for the first time in 211 days. Ruud Van Nistelrooy was benched this time. The Brazilian international had but one thought in mind: putting an end to his scoring drought, which dates back to 8 April, the day he scored his last goal -and the hundredth with the white shirt, for that matter.
The truth is that the Phenomenon -or the Stampede, as he is also known within Spain- looked tuned in, same as his team. The striker had three very clear chances coming from long-range but powerful shots, but the three had the same fate: Pinto saved, the stopper from Vigo denying the Brazilian forward his much deserved strike.

Once things had gotten underway and both rivals had studied their initial disposition, the Whites took command of the situation and attempted to strike and knock down the opponent's resistance. Solid in defense, with a fluid forward transition and ball movement, building intelligently from the back, the opportunities during the first period were clearly for Real Madrid. One after the other: Sergio Ramos heads, stop Pinto (min. 11); Raúl shoots wide (min. 12); the two first-half chances of Ronaldo saved by the Galician keeper (minutes 16 and 23). Even a possible penalty that went uncalled on Sergio Ramos... It seemed like Madrid deserved more.

GOAL TIME
But football does not automatically reward merit. Pinto was his team's best man, there's no doubt, but it was Casillas who had to go pick up the the ball from the back of the net first. In the 35-minute mark, a swift and perfect counter fabricated by playmaker Canobbio released Nené -the Brazilian player who had coincided with Robinho in Santos three years back- who shot on goal without breaking a stride. Low on the ground, Iker could have done nothing even though he tried. It was lethal... it was the first one for Celta, who took the lead.

The punishment was excessive and unfair. It was Celta's first shot on goal. But Real Madrid did not betray their style and they kept at it as they had done before, hammering the Galician defense constantly. And so, justice was done. Forty-two minutes into the encounter, Emerson, unmarked and unchallenged, headed in a corner service from Raul. The Brazilian roaming midfielder, who had made a mistake preceding Celta's goal, almost didn't have time to celebrate it as he cheered his team-mates to take on Celta and go get the second one. It was time to keep rowing, but that would have to wait until the 15-minute halftime break was over .

Fabio Capello introduced two changes at halftime. Van Nistelrooy and José Antonio Reyes substituted Diarra -who was booked- and Robinho, respectively. Guti shifted down to take a place next to Emerson, Reyes took the right flank, and Ruud formed the long-awaited two front men partnership with Ronaldo, as had happened in Getafe. Real Madrid cast their full arsenal to "settle and close this account." The result was an overpowering Madridista domination, with close to 60% of ball possession used profusely to generate one opportunity after the other... this time even clearer than in the first period. Raúl tried following a great by-line backwards pass from Roberto Carlos (min. 53) and so did Van Nistelrooy (min. 55), but to no avail.

However, the most dangerous chance since the beginning of the second half would come off the boots of Celta's evening goalscorer. Once again, Nené tested Casillas shooting the ball past the Real Madrid keeper and off the crossbar (min. 59). Real Madrid's response was swift and blunt. In the counterattack, Ronaldo once again tested Pinto's reflexes, and once more the opposing goalkeeper responded perfectly. Pinto was not about to give Ronie any reason to be happy, who shortly after was replaced by David Beckham before he could sign-off on his 101th goal.

INCREDIBLE, BUT TRUE
With Celta never losing a beat in spite of the White siege, they started recovering ball possession as a way to move forward. Beckham increased the sense of incoming danger with his quick break aways and especially with his trademark long balls and crosses towards the rival's box. Almost always from the right, Becks and an outstanding Sergio Ramos assisted Raul and Van Nistelrooy, who had the second goal of Real Madrid in their boots in a triple chance which incredibly did not come to fruition.

It looked like Celta was thankful for the draw, but in a defensive mistake by Reyes, who probably thought he was in the other half of the pitch, Iriney quickly put the ball through to attacking midfielder Jorge Larena, who scored Celta's second of the night in the 81-minute mark. Real Madrid were forced to believe in a miracle... which never came. The direct play of the Madridistas in the last ten minutes, plus the 3 minutes of overtime, was easily counteracted by Celta's orderly 10-man defense. First defeat of Capello after 30 matches undefeated at his home stadium, the Santiago Bernabéu. The League leadership must wait and, as a matter of fact, is now a few points further away.

MATCH REPORT:

REAL MADRID, 1:
Iker Casillas; Sergio Ramos, Helguera, Cannavaro, Roberto Carlos; Emerson, Diarra (Reyes, min.46); Raúl, Guti, Robinho (Van Nistelrooy, min.46); and Ronaldo (Beckham, min.65).
CELTA, 2:
Pinto; Angel, Lequi, Contreras, Placente; Oubiña, Iriney; Núñez (Tamas, min. 90), Canobbio (Jorge, min.74), Nené (Jonathan Aspas, min.80); and Fernando Baiano.

GOALS:

0-1. Min. 35. Nené, receiving the ball from Canobbio.
1-1. Min. 43. Emerson, heading in a corner kick.
1-2. Min. 82. Jorge, with a perfect shot into the far post of Casillas.

REFEREE:
Miguel Angel Pérez Lasa. Booked Guti (19'), Diarra (27') and Reyes (76') from Real Madrid, and Oubiña (36') and Nené (43') from Celta.
HIGHLIGHTS:
75.000 spectators practically filled up the Santiago Bernabéu. Celta donned its second kit, decked in a flashy bright orange.

All eyes on Pamplona

Last session before visiting the always hard Reyno de Navarra; Cassano trains with squad



Following the lopsided 5-1 Cup win against Ecija on Thursday, Real Madrid carried out their second and last preparation session before Sunday's clash against Osasuna. With the full squad present except for an injured Ronaldo, coach Fabio Capello oversaw a purely tactical workout that included Antonio Cassano for the first time in 12 days.

Last Sunday's loss against Celta de Vigo, the first of the season at the Santiago Bernabéu, really upset the Madridista dressing room. Players and coach alike were sorry about the undeserved defeat after the team had played a good game. But do not question the Madridistas' drive as they travel to Pamplona. A victory against the Navarra side will keep the Whites in the top spots of the table, and depending on other results, could place them as high as second in the standings.

Welcome Cassano
Real Madrid took the the Valdebebas turf on Saturday ready to give it their max during the last training session to prepare for the assault on the Reyno de Navarra Stadium. The entire squad was at coach Fabio Capello's disposal. Miñambres, who rejoined the team on Friday, was back, as were Real Madrid C's Nieto and Toto, who had been selected to work out with the First Team. But it was Antonio Cassano who captured everyone's attention during the first few minutes. The Italian, who returned to training with the group after training in solitary for 12 days, was welcomed back by his teammates.

The day got underway with the typical muscle stretching exercises in preparation for the workout Capello had planned for his men. Bibs were handed out and the squad broke into two groups of piggy-in-the-middle to work on pressuring and quick ball movement. After 15 minutes of drills, Capello took charge to work on tactical aspects with Sunday's match in mind.

First session without Ronaldo
Ronald's injury was confirmed on Friday, and on Saturday, the Brazilian was the only absentee from training. The sprained internal lateral ligament of his left knee will keep The Phenomenon sidelined between two and four weeks. It's terrible news for the player who was so close to reaching ideal playing form and who continued earning more and more playing time, as well as the team that was looking forward to Ronie's goal scoring magic.

Real Madrid-Osasuna teamsheet

Cassano returns to the list. Ronaldo and Raúl Bravo out



Eighteen players have been called up by coach Fabio Capello to travel to Pamplona for Sunday's 7 pm CET match against Osasuna. While Antonio Cassano has made his return to the list, Ronaldo and Raúl Bravo will stay in Madrid due to injury.

When asked about the possible teamsheet during today's press conference, Real Madrid boss Fabio Capello stated that every man available will travel. Tonight at 7 pm, those 18 players will leave the Spanish capital for Pamplona. Antonio Cassano has returned to the squad, while Ronaldo and Raúl Bravo will not travel due to injury.

The Italian, who trained with his teammates today for the first time in 12 days, has finally made his way back to the list of those comprising the expedition to the province of Navarra. He's a very important incorporation for the team now that Ronaldo is unavailable between two and four weeks. Raúl Bravo, who is suffering from an abductor strain, will also stay in Madrid.

The expedition will meet at Real Madrid City at 6:15 pm before making its way to Madrid's Barajas Airport. The Iruña Park Hotel in Pamplona will be the Whites' headquarters until they land at the Reyno de Navarra Stadium in hopes of taking three points from a hard and complicated field.

TEAMSHEET:

Goalkeepers: Casillas, Diego López and Casilla.
Defenders: Cannavaro, Ramos, Pavón, Mejía, Roberto Carlos, Salgado and Helguera.
Midfielders: Beckham, Robinho, Diarra, Reyes, Emerson and Guti.
Forwards: Van Nistelrooy, Raúl and Cassano.
Not called up: Ronaldo, Raúl Bravo and Cicinho.

www.realmadrid.com

4-1: Phenomenal Van Nistelrooy

A clinical four goal performance by the Dutch striker demolishes Osasuna



Real Madrid turned around last week's 2-1 home defeat with a brilliant performance by Ruud Van Nistelrooy, who scored all four White goals. The Dutchman's first half hat-trick was enough to put the game in the books early on in the first half. With three points in hand, Real Madrid are back in the top spots of the League table and the chase for the title.

Sunday's match against Osasuna got off to a bright start for both sides. The opening minutes saw fast-paced, action-packed football as would be expected when Real Madrid play at the Reyno de Navarra Stadium. It was obvious the “Reds” weren't lacking any motivation against coach Fabio Capello's most frequent lineup of late. Even so, it was the Whites who created the game's first scoring opportunity, but Robinho's strike off a Sergio Ramos cross was cleared by the defence.
Osasuna dictated the tempo of the match by pressuring a lot in the midfield, resulting in several Madridista mistakes and Delporto being able to move the ball up the left flank. His pass to Webó was nearly headered in by the Cameroon native, but Casillas made a great intervention. Madrid tried to regain possession with Guti constantly moving back to the center of the pitch to recover the football and Raúl and Robinho incessantly swapping sides. But it wasn't easy against a rugged Osasuna side.

Let the Van Nistelrooy clinic begin
The first goal of the game came just as Osasuna were beginning to surround Casillas' box. Robinho's long range shot was saved by Ricardo, but Van Nistelrooy was in the right place at the right time to tap in his first of the night. It was just the beginning of the Ruud Van Nistelrooy clinic at the Reyno de Navarra. Down a goal with more than 30 minutes to play in the first half, Osasuna picked up where they had left off and looked even more determined to level the match. After Ramos nearly missed scoring off a free kick, an incisive Delporte lay down a barrage of crosses from the wing to no avail, and Iker made a fantastic save on Puñal's shot.

Finishing off on the break
Madrid waited in the first third to catch Osasuna on the break, and it would be game, set, and match thanks to 'Killer' Van Nistelrooy. In the 26th minute, the Dutch forward was again in the right place at the right time to tap in a deflection off Robinho and an Osasuna defender. His second of the night was a huge blow to the home side, who were finding it nearly impossible to draw level.

But there was still more to come before the half drew to a close. Raúl found Van Nistelrooy on another fast break to put the nail in the coffin. The Dutchman placed the ball between the far post and the keeper with a low but powerful shot. It was a wonderful finish to cap off his hat-trick with an entire 45 minutes left to play.

Down by an overwhelming score of 3-0, a determined Osasuna made three quick substitutions in order to make up ground, and they did just that in the 63rd minute. Casillas did fantastically well to save three shots on target, but Valdo was finally able to beat the Madridista keeper by heading in a corner kick. Madrid took their foot off the gas with a three goal cushion, and Osasuna still believed they could make it a match. But Van Nistelrooy, who was absolutely phenomenal all night long, brought the home side back to earth with an amazing strike into the far corner of the net from 18 yards out. With his fourth goal of the night, the Man of the Match is now Pichichi of the Primera Liga. Special mention to Guti who survived all the wreckless challenges by the “Reds” and to Emerson who continues improving on both defensive and attacking chores.

MATCH REPORT:

1 – OSASUNA:
Ricardo; M.Flaño, Josetxo, Flaño, Corrales; Valdo, Puñal, Nekouman, Delporte (Font 58’); Raúl García (David López 45’) and Webó (Milosevic 45’).

4 – REAL MADRID
Casillas; Ramos, Helguera, Cannavaro, Roberto Carlos; Raúl, Diarra, Emerson, Robinho (Reyes 63’); Guti (Beckham 82’) and Van Nistelrooy.

GOALS:

0-1, min. 11: Van Nistelrooy taps in Robinho's long range shot.
0-2, min. 26: Van Nistelrooy taps in another deflection in the box.
0-3, min. 44: Van Nistelrooy beats Ricardo with a shot across the box.
1-3, min. 63: Valdo headers in a corner kick.
1-4, min. 83: Van Nistelrooy 18 yard strike from outside the right side of the box.

Referee:
Teixeira Vitienes. Cantabrian Refereeing Association. Booked Corrales (22’), Delporte (37`), Javier Flaño (39’), Miguel Flaño (66’), Josetxo (70’), Font (75’),
NOTES:
Matchday 10 of the Primera Liga played at the Reyno de Navarra Stadium.