Seven is Heaven

By: Corey | February 11th, 2008

Wowwy Wow Wow! What can you say about that? It was simply a complete and utter smack down, we pretty much put away whatever we could come up with. I was pretty much speechless, we did everything well tonight. It seemed like Valladolid were not even on the field. Seven goals was last accomplished against Valladolid surprisingly, I had this weird vision we would score 7 again. But I didnt say anything, but who would say something so ludacrous? I didnt want to say it and be wrong because that would suck. So I am really off in my 3-0 win prediction, but I cant complain at all.

As usual, with time constrictions that I have, my review will be deferred to another site. I watched the game, and I am glad I did. But espn does a decent job so here it is:

Match Stats
Real Madrid Valladolid
Shots (on Goal) 16(9) 15(7)
Fouls 10 11
Corner Kicks 4 10
Offsides 5 0
Time of Possession 51% 50%
Yellow Cards 1 1
Red Cards 0 0
Saves 7 2

Real Madrid crushed Real Valladolid with a stunning first-half blitz on Sunday to open up an eight-point lead at the top of the Primera Liga standings.

The reigning champions scored five unanswered goals in a clinical opening 45 minutes before adding two more after the break to move further clear of Barcelona, who could only draw at Sevilla on Saturday.

Julio Baptista set the ball rolling with Real’s opener in the eighth minute, before further strikes from Raul (two), Arjen Robben and Guti ensured the game was over as a contest before the half-time break.

Guti and Royston Drenthe then added further goals in the second half to complete the romp.

Valladolid will wonder what went wrong, as they matched Real for long periods of the first half, only to see their hosts score with virtually every attack.

It might all have been different as well if Valladolid striker Joseba Llorente had made the most of his opportunity in the opening 90 seconds.

A defensive lapse by Real centre-back Fabio Cannavaro allowed Llorente a free shot from the edge of the area, but the 12-goal marksman was unable to beat Iker Casillas.

Hosts Real, who were without their own leading scorer in Ruud van Nistelrooy, looked out-of-sorts early on as they sought to bounce back from last weekend’s 2-0 defeat at Almeria.

However, with arguably their only decent chance of the opening half-hour they took the lead through Baptista.

Guti threaded the ball through to Robben, and although the Dutchman dwelt too long to take a shot himself, he fed the onrushing Baptista who raced into the area before slotting past Sergio Asenjo.

Real then lost in-form Brazilian Robinho to injury, and with Valladolid looking threatening going forward at that stage, it seemed like it could be a tough night for the reigning champions.

That proved not to be the case though, with Real scoring four times in 13 minutes in the lead-up to half-time to decide the match.

Raul made it 2-0 in the 31st minute after rounding Asenjo following a slick one-two with Guti, before another Guti pass two minutes later sent Robben away down the left and the Dutchman raced clear before beating Asenjo at his near post.

Goalscoring trio Robben, Baptista and Raul were then all involved in Real’s fourth goal in the 38th minute.

Robben played Baptista through and when the Brazilian went flying under the challenge of Asenjo, Raul was able to slot home his 11th goal of the season from the penalty spot.

That was not the end of the first-half scoring though, as Guti made it 5-0 just before half-time with a cool finish following Drenthe’s lofted through-ball.

It was a demoralising experience for highly-rated young Valladolid goalkeeper Asenjo, but if the 18-year-old thought he was in for a quieter second period he was mistaken.

Robben, Baptista and Sergio Ramos all had chances to increase Real’s already-imposing lead in the opening 10 minutes, before Guti managed it in the 64th minute.

Robben laid the ball back to Guti on the edge of the area, and although the Real playmaker scuffed his shot it was still good enough to beat Asenjo and fly in off the right-hand post - a goal that summed up unfortunate Valladolid’s evening.

Valladolid came close to pulling a consolation goal back in the 75th minute when a mistake by makeshift Real centre-back Mahamadou Diarra allowed Vivar Dorado a shooting chance, but his effort was tipped onto the crossbar by Casillas.

There was still time for Real to score a seventh through Drenthe in the 80th minute, the Dutchman latching onto Guti’s header before drilling home from close range to complete the mauling.

Schuster Post Match:

Schuster couldn’t hold back his smile when talking about Real Madrid’s 7-0 drubbing over Valladolid.

What’s your impression on the match?
Very good. Keep in mind that we had several players out, so despite some concerns, the players responded and did their job. More importantly, you couldn’t tell that several haven’t been playing much. Everyone did a perfect job. It was a very encouraging match.

At first it looked like Madrid handed the match to Valladolid, but your men knew how to capitalize on the way the visitors played.
Valladolid played the same way they did in all the videos I’ve watched. They play far from their own goal to pressure the opponent. That was their idea, so I played pacey men along the wings and two passers, Guti and Gago, who could get the ball over the defense. That was my strategy and it’s how we scored most of our goals. Seeing a team play like this was shocking. Everything went our way.

Did you play Diarra as a centre-back because you needed to fill a hole or because you just wanted to give him a try in that position?
It needed someone there urgently because Sergio Ramos wasn’t fit to play the second half. Same goes for Gago, who hasn’t trained much. I put Baptista where I did in order to help him out.

You had 17 men available and only called 17 up. Did you not want to take any away from the Castilla squad?
Having only 17 men wasn’t a problem. Whether I bring 17 or 18 doesn’t matter because I can only make three changes. You cant play a game with 17 men. It had nothing to do with the youth team. We’ll use them if we need to, but today it wasn’t necessary.

What was the reason for swapping Robinho and Robben from one wing to the other?
We wanted to have speed along the wings and for the players to be kicking across their bodies. I preferred Robben on the right because we had the option of switching him with Robinho. We’ve always wanted to try the switch but hadn’t been able to until today. It was a way to catch Valladolid with their backs turned.

Do these thrashings and stats remind you of past seasons years ago?
No. It was a high score because we were able to create one perfect play after the next. We have to enjoy the few matches that we’ll have similar to tonight’s. Next week might not be this easy.

On a personal level, what do you have to say about Guti’s four assists and two goals?
When I start a player what I look for is a response to the faith I place in him, and that’s exactly what Guti is doing and what I demand of him. He’s a passer, and that’s what we look for. I am happy for him because sometimes he is more important to us than he thinks.

Mendilibar’s Reactions:

“Madrid has the quality to play with space or without space. Maybe we could have conceded more goals, but they’d have beaten us anyway.

“They know how to play, are consistent, and their counterattacking is simply lethal.

“It’s hard to take, but if we look at the game today, they were light years ahead of us. They were so comfortable.”

However, he then claimed that his own side could have done a lot better.

“We made things very easy for them,” he said.

“Maybe we gave htem a taste for attacking early on, but we gave away goals that ended the game.”

“Now we’ll reflect on that for two or three days, but from Wednesday onwards, we’ll look ahead to Mallorca,”

“Will Madrid win the Liga? There’s a long way to go in the championship.”

Go Left, Now Go Right!

Man of the match is obviously Guti, he was senesational tonight, and when he turns it on no one can stop him. Lets hope he can keep it turned on for the remainder of the season, we have two trophies to win. Baptista impressed me secondly, he is so versatile and when he plays you can see he is so passionate about the club. When he was fouled for a penalty the way he celebrated it with Raul made me very happy that he stuck around and he plays for us, he is a good man.

Drenthe and Robben both played well, it was nice to see Robben go a full 90 while Drenthe looked good whenever he had the ball. He needs to work on his crossing, he sorta uses it as a crutch to not do any moves, but I cant complain. Robinho has a pinched nerve so he should be fine, no worries there. I like Drenthe, but I would have prefered to see Balboa out there tonight. Balboa to me is better then Drenthe, and he would have been far more dangerous with his movement and pace.

Raul was superb as usual, his first goal was a beauty. It reminds me of the 100s of goals he has scored over the years, so simple yet elegant. He did well as the front man, Baptista played Raul’s role well so maybe theres a further pairing to look at. Soldado got in tonight too, he didnt do much but it was good he is back on his feet. I expect to see more from him in the coming games.

Defensively we were sound, Salgado and Marcelo were not pressured to much so they attacked with ease. Sergio Ramos and Canna is not our best pairing, but they did a good job. Ramos has a strained right thigh so his substution was forced. I do not want to see Diarra as a center back ever again, it was terrible. He looks a little jaded on the field, although word on the street is he is carrying a couple of different injuries that he plays through. He is on the injury list as a severly bruised ankle, which he has had for a few months now. So maybe some rest will help his play out.

And Casillas. What can you say, you make me smile in the morning pal. Had little to deal with, Llorente only getting a few weak shots off, but he did have one impressive save of Vivar Dorado, tipping a hot shot from close range onto the bar.

Here are some player reactions tothe match:

Robben:

“I am very happy. This is a great score. I am pleased because I scored my first goal in La Liga, but the fact that I played the full 90 minutes is even more important.”

“It’s not the first time I play a game that has ended with this score. I did it with PSV in Holland, but it doesn’t take away from this incredible result.”

“The match against Roma will be very different, but Betis are up first, so that’s who we’re going to think about.”

“I feel very good. My knee has been perfect for a couple weeks now and the muscle problems are a thing of the past. I feel strong and hope to maintain this rhythm and enthusiasm.”

“It was a very important goal for me. I dedicated it to my wife because today is her birthday. We’ve been through some rocky times, so this one is for her.”

Marcelo:

“I asked Guti when Real Madrid last scored seven goals and he told me it was against Valladolid in 2004. We are very happy.”

“We always want to perform well for our fans in the Santiago Bernabéu. Having players like Raúl and Guti is incredible.”

“We haven’t lost at home in a long time, but we also have to win on the road, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do because we’re going to continue fighting.”

“Whoever wants to talk, let them. We’re a tight-knit group and we proved it today on the pitch.”

Julio Baptista:

“I never imagined that the match would end like this and that we’d score so many goals. The team played at a fast rhythm and the goals were a result of the way we were playing.”

“We were very accurate in the first half, but our intensity is what stands out the most. You’ll obtain results when you take to the pitch with such intensity and enthusiasm.”

“It’s a long season. Winning every single match is difficult, but we’re very strong and winning at home is extremely important.”

“I felt great. I was at liberty to play closer to Raúl as a centre forward and I felt very comfortable there.”

“We have a week to rest up and reenergize before our next match, but we can also have a little fun because it’s not every day that you score seven goals.”

“Obtaining this score is very difficult, but we enjoyed playing at such a fast pace and it turned out perfectly.”

“We have to feed of one another. Raúl and Guti are playing in a league of their own.”

“People think it’s won, but the league is very long and winning on the road is very difficult. Today was different because 7-0 isn’t normal, especially when you score five in the first half. We upped the rhythm so much that we couldn’t slow down.”

“We never stopped respecting the opponent. The rival has no answer when you play like we did.”

“We only worry about ourselves and winning our matches. Everyone else depends on what we do.”

Alright, so there it is, I am waiting to hear your thoughts on the match! Adios.

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