Champions League Liveblog: Real Madrid v AS Roma

By: Steve | March 5th, 2008

Hala Madrid! Hola Madridistas, tonight is the night! We play Roma in the second leg of this knockout round at the Bernabeu, and we need all the support we can get! Corey is right, I think we do better when our collective Madridismo is concentrated together. So ready yourselves, get comfy and come back later tonight (or today, whatever is appropriate for your location) for the liveblog!

Sky Sports 3 is carrying the match in the UK, starting at 19h30. I’m not sure about our US-based viewers, maybe Corey can sort you guys out with a link or something in the comments.

I haven’t checked the lineup for Roma, but it looks like we’ll be missing Sergio Ramos on suspension, and all but Drenthe from our Dutch quartet due to injury. Guti looks set to come back, and Robinho starred on the weekend so I can’t imagine that Schuster will start him on the bench. My starting XI (4-3-3): Casillas, Torres, Cannavaro, Pepe, Heinze, Diarra, Gago, Guti, Robinho, Drenthe, Raul.

Vamenos, Madrid! Alright, see you guys in 8 hours!

UPDATE: alright, the TV is on, i’ve gone to the loo, all set for the next 90 minutes of action! As Corey says, let’s definitely hit up the comments, let’s show everyone the Madridismo solidarity! Can’t stand those silly Barca fans who think they’ve already won the league when they’re in second place? Me neither!

If Drenthe is indeed on the bench, I’d like to see Baptista in there, as Corey mentioned in the comments. He’s definitely someone Roma would have to account for.

Interestingly enough, Real’s own website has the lineup almost like my original one, except with Baptista in for Diarra, as the Malian is on a yellow card.

PREGAME: Shocker. Schuster has defied all our expectations and Sky is reporting that he’s starting a lineup of Casillas, Salgado, Pepe, Cannavaro, Heinze, Gago, Diarra, Guti, Baptista, Drenthe, Raul. No Torres and no Robinho.
PREGAME: well, it’s clear now that the match doesn’t actually start at 19h30… they’ve got a load of pregame coverage, and some of the in-stadium pictures show some empty seats still.
PREGAME: ok, the teams are coming out now…
PREGAME: ok, Robinho is definitely starting. Drenthe is out.
PREGAME: Salgado still in though… can’t win them all, i guess.
1min: And we’re underway!
3min: Real starting out pretty well, their passing looks decent, if not good.
3min: This is retarded. This is the second time now that they’ve tried to advance up the left through Heinze. Why?
5min: Real’s movement early on is good, but their passing touch is a bit light… gotta get it in there and not get caught on the counter.
7min: ooh, good corner from Roma, and i think it was only Taddei who was late getting to the cross that caused the lack of a shot… but there were no white shirts in the area at all.
9min: Cicinho gets away with some massive shirt-pulling on Baptista, there definitely should’ve been a call there… and then De Rossi goes down on a light challenge from Robinho. Weak.
10min: Ooh, Cicinho with a good cross in from the right and Totti muffs the shot. An easy pickup for Casillas.
12min: Oh! Cannavaro seems to miss a glorious chance off a Guti corner… seemed to react late to the ball, maybe cuz Heinze was in front of him and looked like he was gonna get it… shame.
13min: Heinze picks up a yellow card on a late challenge on De Rossi.
14min: Raul gets called for a phantom foul on De Rossi. This kid is getting on my nerves.
16min: Taddei gets called for fouling Robinho, in a great spot… centre of the pitch, about 30 yards out.
16min: OH! A good save by Doni after Baptista take the spot tap and blasts it… the shot deflects off a Roma defender but Doni had good position.
18min: Oh! Aquilani beats Casillas but hits the woodwork, and then Mancini sets him up again, but Casillas is up to the task this time. WHEW!
19min: Well, I think Real has the majority of possession, but Roma is counterattacking really well.
20min: Taddei picks up a yellow on a foul on Heinze, who really elaborates his fall…
21min: Oh! Baptista picks up a bad header from De Rossi and just barely can’t get a clean shot off… Mexes comes in to deflect it out of play but the ref gives a goal kick.
23min: Good link-up play on the right with Salgado, Diarra, Robinho and Raul… but this is where we miss Ruud. His ability to hold up the ball in dangerous spots like in the penalty area is invaluable.
26min: Great rush (sorry for the hockey term) by Real, with Gago I think springing Guti free down the right… Robinho misses the header, but it was 1 on 4. If it was Baptista, that may have had a chance.
30min: It’s pretty good action so far, though few chances really. And the Bernabeu sounds awfully quiet.
31min: Ahh… Gago threads a great seeing-eye pass into Robinho who finds a bit of space on the left, but can’t create anything.
33min: Ugh. Real break out and then just stop moving. Robinho, Guti, Baptista… no movement at all. Baptista ends up taking a long shot without any screening defenders and it’s an easy save for Doni.
34min: Roma’s passing is horrid. How is Real getting such good possession?
35min: Robinho dribbles around De Rossi who fouls him just outside the box and picks up a yellow.
36min: Baptista to take… and hits the wall. Ugly.
36min: Totti does well to win the ball and then just blasts a pass towards Mancini on the left but it’s way too strong and goes out. See what I mean? Horrid passing.
39min: Roma is taking loads of long-range shots as Haran says in the comments, particularly from De Rossi and Aquilani. Strange tactic, considering Casillas’ reputation as a shotstopper.
40min: What?!? How was that not a foul? Salgado gets hacked on a high kick by a Roma defender, in the box too… damn it.
41min: Pepe gets booked for a late challenge on Cicinho… it was really a shove, more than any tackle attempt.
45min: 1 minute of extra time…
45+1min: Oh! Roma’s corner is ineffective, but Real can’t clear and Aquilani almost picks out Mexes at the far side, but just offside…
HALFTIME: well, advantage still for Roma, but Real has looked pretty good. They need to close down quicker from 30 yards into their own goal, as Roma is proving to love those shots from long distance. Aquilani has been particularly dangerous.
HALFTIME: Real have played pretty well though, at least until the final third. They are really missing Ruud’s killer instinct in the box.
HALFTIME: Without someone with Ruud’s sense of movement, Real aren’t getting any clear chances, despite spending loads of time on the ball in the Roma half.
HALFTIME: I don’t think Schuster will make any changes, but at the 60 minute mark, he should start considering putting in another winger… we need to spread the field in order to give Gago and Guti some space to work their magic.
HALFTIME: Just checking the comments… Corey doesn’t think Real has played well at all. I dunno, I don’t think they’ve really done that poorly. Sure, there haven’t been any clear chances, aside from set-pieces, and aside from that one time where they were literally standing still, I think Real has done well to keep possession.
HALFTIME: That said, they really do need to do something in the final third of the pitch. Baptista might need to be pushed forward into a striking position, to collapse Roma’s holding midfielders more and give our creative guys like Robinho and Guti some more time and space on the ball.
HALFTIME: Drenthe on for Diarra would be my first substitution… We should be aiming to win by at least 2 goals, just to make sure of the away goals rule, and playing the double pivot isn’t gonna do it.
46min: No halftime changes for either team.
48min: Baptista wins a free kick off an Aquilani challenge, just off to the left, about 25 yards out…
48min: OH! Baptista hits the woodwork! Doni was frozen… damn it!
50min: Great goal line clearance by Cannavaro, off a broken defense by Heinze and Casillas.
52min: Real moving with a bit more intent now, Robinho and Baptista the main protagonists…
54min: Salgado is advancing more on the right wing… not my choice to provide the width we need, but it does seem to be opening up some space…
58min: Wow, it’s getting sloppy now… misdirected passes, going the wrong way… and yet the ball is still in the Roma half.
59min: Oh! A long range shot by Diarra gets parried away by Doni.
59min: Drenthe is warming up…
61min: Yup! I called it! Drenthe on for Diarra. Salgado may just have picked up a knock too… maybe Torres on next…
63min: Oh! Raul’s header glances over the crossbar from a Real free kick.
64min: Yup, Torres warming up now.
64min: And Salgado comes off for Torres.
65min: Roma also makes a change… Mancini off for Vucinic.
66min: You’d have to think that with the faster team on now that Real will open it up… but Robinho and Drenthe both work best on the left wing, so who knows…
66min: OH! Vucinic hits the woodwork! Great shot, Casillas had nothing…
66min: And Real counters, with loads of space for Guti, Robinho and co… but Roma recovers and loads the box to block Robinho’s shot. Boo.
68min: I really think Guti made a bad decision on that play… he should’ve either taken the shot on the trot, or gone out left, instead of cutting back to Robinho.
69min: Ooh, good oppotunity for Real… Drenthe gets the ball on the left and curls in a cross to Robinho on the right but the Brazilian elects to attempt a header rather than settle the ball for a shot… methinks that was also a mistake. He had the space and time…
71min: Pepe gets a second yellow card! He’s off! The Sky commentators can’t believe it…
73min: GOAL! Taddei comes in and breaks Madrid’s heart… a great header off a cross and Real is standing around on defense. Real Madrid 0-1 AS Roma.
75min: GOAL!!! Real answer right back! Raul, who I think is marginally offside, latches onto Robinho’s through-ball and tucks it past Doni. Real Madrid 1-1 AS Roma.
76min: Pizarro on for Perrotta, and Robinho is yellow carded for something…
78min: 10-man Real applying loads of pressure… incredible.
79min: Ugh… Real still finding gaps despite being a man down, but Robinho’s touch fails him…
79min: Oh! Raul just gets pipped to Robinho’s cross…
80min: The pace and pressure is furious now… where was this sense of urgency before?
81min: Robinho does a little too much dancing and loses the ball in the box. damn it.
83min: Aquilani gets a yellow for tripping up Torres as Real were starting to counterattack…
84min: Tonetto is the next one to get carded for a foul on Drenthe.
85min: Soldado on for Baptista! Wow! Has Schuster left it too late?
87min: Panucci on for Cicinho.
87min: Oh! Aquilani and De Rossi are all alone after a set-piece… maybe it was offside anyways, but damn, where was the defense?
89min: Real wins a corner from some right-sided play with Torres and Gago… and it amounts to nothing. bollocks.
90min: Real look like they’ve given up any semblance of defending. They’re resigned to the loss.
90+1min: 4 minutes of extra time. VAMENOS!!!
90+1min: Heh, i said loss even though it’s a draw… still, a draw is like a loss anyways.
90+3min: GOAL! Vucinic converts Panucci’s free kick with a well-taken header… what an impact substitution. Horrid defending… Casillas was in no-man’s land, and the ball was over Cannavaro’s head. Real Madrid 1-2 Roma.
90+4min: And it’s done.
POSTGAME: Well, that was a ridiculous end to a ridiculous match.
POSTGAME: The ref issued, what, like 11 yellow cards? That second one on Pepe was retarded.
POSTGAME: I’d love to give credit to Roma for this, but really, Real shot themselves in the foot. Without Ruud to hold up the ball, Real have no presence in the box, and it’s strange Schuster waited until the 85th minute before bringing on Soldado. Like that was really gonna make a difference?!?
POSTGAME: And Real’s defense… ugh… no, that’s not the right word… what am I feeling now… it’s more like… RAGE!!!
POSTGAME: Both Roma’s goals came from headers off of crosses cutting into the box from the wings… they were really mirror images of each other, Taddei’s and Vucinic’s goals.
POSTGAME: Unbelievable.
POSTGAME: Well, Roma wins 4-2 on aggregate and advance to the “Elite Eight” of the Champions League. Real meanwhile go out at the first knockout stage for the 4th year in a row.
POSTGAME: So disappointing.
POSTGAME: Alright, let’s go to the scorecards… first, Casillas. He looked surprisingly human today. The headers are basically impossible to save, but long shots also found the woodwork twice. He did well to parry Aquilani’s shot in the first half though.
POSTGAME: Salgado was decent, I guess, and his movement forward in the second half started to open things up, but once he picked up the knock, Roma went attacking on his side. Cannavaro did what he could, I think he was alright. Some may blame him for the second Roma goal, but look at it, it was 3 on 2 for Roma, so he had to play almost a zone defense. Pepe picked up a couple retarded cards and got sent off, that’s unacceptable… He was mediocre at best. Heinze was, for some reason, a focal point in the offense, frequently providing the left-side width. I don’t understand that at all. The Argentinian could also be faulted for Roma’s first goal… if you watch the replay, Heinze stands still and waits for the cross to come down, instead of looking for his man. Taddei comes over top of him, but it’s a clean jump and the next thing you know, it’s in the back of the net.
POSTGAME: Gago was ok I think… no stupid challenges though his choice in distribution could still use some work… you can see the talent though, like on that through-ball for Robinho. Diarra was also surprisingly ok, though his advancement into offensive positions denies that space to other attackers and draws in more defenders, which packs the box. Real work best in the open field and Diarra moving up to attack just doesn’t work (unless it’s a set-piece). Baptista was ineffectual, partially because there were always so many defenders around. The Beast can only be so beast before he’s outnumbered anyway. Guti was alright. He had less room than he normally likes, but he didn’t give away the ball and he picked out the easy pass when pressured. His set-pieces leave a little room for improvement though, and his choice to cut back to Robinho on that one break was disappointing.
POSTGAME: Robinho got a lot of touches, but his lack of form after being out for almost 3 weeks was telling… his touch was just off, and of course, he resorted to those crazy step-over dribbles he’s so fond of. Raul did what he could i guess, but he’s just not a centre-forward. Asking him to do so is just stupid.
POSTGAME: Drenthe was brought on to provide more width, and did that in spurts, but his biggest asset is his pace and Real for whatever reason never utilized it. Torres was pretty solid after coming in for Salgado, at least he bothered to try defending on that last set-piece that led to Roma’s second goal. Torres and Cannavaro were the only ones who cared enough. Soldado was invisible, and I don’t think he had a touch on the ball, but he only had 5 minutes of regulation plus 4 minutes of extra time. Not nearly enough. He really ought to get a try as centre-forward if Ruud is out for a while…
POSTGAME: Ugh, this is depressing. Middling Liga form, crashing out of the Copa and Champions League… at least i got the new girl to think about. I’m out.