Tonight's second to last match
before Real Madrid take their well-earned Christmas break gained in
rhythm and intensity as the game wore on. Espanyol fought hard for a
victory, but, once again, Real Madrid fell back on their philosophy that
style points don't count, and Ruud Van Nistelrooy scored the Whites'
lone goal, which proved to be the game winner. Despite being down a man
after Cannavaro was sent off for a controversial handball, the Whites
stuck to their guns and stood ground to an ever more defiant and
dangerous Espanyol. It was the Catalan side's first defeat since
Matchday 4.
Espanyol stepped onto Montjuïc Stadium's pitch oozing with confidence
having won their last two League matches against Sevilla and Atletico
Madrid and not having suffered a defeat since their fourth match of the
season. Meanwhile, Real Madrid were coming off a heartbreaking loss to
the current La Liga leaders and kicked off tonight's game sluggish and
unconvincing. Fabio Capello made the decision to line up Robinho and
Reyes on the wings rather than playing Ronaldo and Diarra. As the
minutes ticked by, the Whites gradually started feeling more comfortable
in Montjuïc, finding their own pace and flow to the game.
Only minutes into the match, things took a turn for the worst as José
Antonio Reyes received a harsh late challenge from Zabaleta. The
Sevillian player seemed to be badly hurt, but soon recovered and
contributed to the defensive chores which were greatly compounded
against the Espanyol attack. The Catalan front line had proved to be
very dangerous in previous matches, and tonight was no different with
Tamudo menacing around the box as De la Peña served him several quality
balls. Luis García had the home team's best chance in minute 28.
Bringing the ball forward, De la Peña played it into Moha. The latter
soon found García, who managed to pull off a first touch shot that
sailed over the crossbar.
Meanwhile, the Whites were shaping up and had their chances shortly
after minute 20, mainly by way of medium-range strikes. Real Madrid's
best opportunity arrived after an outstanding pass from Raúl to Van
Nistelrooy. Anxious to get on the score-sheet, the Dutchman controlled
the ball inside the small box and was phenomenally tackled by Torrejón
just as he was about to shoot, preventing the first goal from finding
the back of the net near the 30-minute mark. The even, hard-fought first
half ended with a 0-0 draw.
Casillas shines
There is no question that Iker Casillas was one of the top players of
Matchday 15, which just also happened to be the Madridista keeper's
250th League match of his career. Aside from making great efforts to
stop Espanyol's free kicks and set pieces, the former youth system
player proved to be decisive throughout the 90 minutes. The Whites'
keeper thwarted Tamudo's run towards the goal outside the box close to
halftime, cleared a great shot by Pandiani in the 67th minute, and
prevented the Periquitos from equalising the score in the last few
minutes of the game.
Goal, send-off and Jerichonian defence
Real Madrid re-entered Montjuïc renewed with energy and ready to put the
game away. Fabio Capello moved his lines up, allowing Guti to create in
the midfield and Raúl to reach the opponent's box more frequently. And
in less than five minutes, the Whites scored the goal they had been
seeking. Guti feinted around a defender and played the ball to Van
Nistelrooy, who was standing with his back on goal. The Dutch striker
controlled the pass beautifully, spun around, and netted a powerful shot
past Kameni, who was helpless and baffled by Van Nistelrooy's technique.
Many fans in the stands were heard roaring in celebration.
But minutes later, Pérez Lasa spoiled the moment with an appalling call.
The referee sent Fabio Cannavaro off with his second booking thinking
the Italian had hit the ball with his hand, when it actually hit his
head. It seems this pitch will never be relieved of controversy after
all. Nevertheless, Real Madrid stuck to their guns, and with the
incorporation of Mejía, Diarra, and Raúl Bravo, formed a Jerichonian
defence, while captain Raúl proved omnipresent at all times.
The match broke wide open with the ball going back and forth from one
area to the other. Both teams had their chances, and Míchel Salgado's
perfectly timed challenge was decisive in thwarting Tamudo and Luis
Garcia's attack in the 78-minute mark. Espanyol never threw in the towel
and their four forwards on the pitch seemed to be qeueing up to put the
ball in, but to no avail. The most effective Real Madrid side of recent
years left Montjuïc with three points in hand.
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