Liveblog: Real Betis v Real Madrid

By: Steve | September 27th, 2008

Hala Madrid! Well kids, it’s your humble liveblogger coming to you straight from somewhere around the world, thanks to the intarweb. Tonight’s match sees Los Merengues travel to Real Betis, and you can see it live on Sky Sports Xtra at 7pm GMT. That’s in about an hour, woot!

Madrid start tonight third in the league table, only 1 point behind leaders Valencia and Villarreal, and they come straight from Wednesday’s pasting of Sporting de Gijon. Betis were at the Camp Nou in their midweek fixture, but came up just short against Barcelona and lost 3-2. Betis sit just above the drop zone in 17th place, with just 2 points to show from their first 4 matches.

I’m surprised Corey hasn’t written up a preview, but he’s a bit busier these days, so here’s one from ESPN Soccernet. With another Champions League fixture next week against Zenit St. Petersburg, I think Schuster will probably take it easy on Betis. Ruud, Heinze and Sergio Ramos return after being left out last match, while Cannavaro gets his day off tonight. Guti, Sneijder and Gago remain injured.

Here’s my predicted starting lineup: Casillas, Ramos, Pepe, Heinze, Marcelo, Diarra, de la Red, van der Vaart, Robben, Ruud and Higuain.

Alright, i need some food, so tune back in here in an hour!

PREGAME: so the starting lineup is basically the one i called, except with Raul starting instead of Higuain.
1min: and we’re off! Real are wearing their away blues… still looks a bit odd how bright the blue is actually.
1min: OMG, Pepe nearly gifted Betis with a chance, blowing a really easy header.
4min: ugh, another ugly tackle from Heinze. what’s up with the two-footed challenge? it’s like Heinze subscribes to the Paul Scholes school of tackling.
4min: pretty dodgy set-piece defending from Real.
5min: Oh! Robben dances his way through the Betis defence on the left wing, then cuts into the box and pulls the ball back, through seemingly half the team before Ruud comes from outside the box to take a shot, only for it to be deflected. Unlucky.
7min: Ooh! van der Vaart takes a corner from the left stick and it’s Pepe on the near post, but the header goes just over the crossbar.
8min: wow, really strange… the commentators have pointed out that Ruud is playing really deep, practically in midfield… the last attack, there were 4 players ahead of him!
9min: Oh brutal offside call… Ruud’s shot didn’t get on target, but he was onside by a mile.
10min: OH! de la Red sent in with only the keeper to beat, but his shot just barely finds the keeper’s mitts. great chance, and a great start to the move from the other end, Ruud winning the ball back on the edge of the Real box!
12min: I wonder if Schuster is trying something new with Ruud’s positioning… the Dutchman has been tracking back quite deep into the Real half, then taking up more of a “hole” position… it’s vdV and Raul leading the line.
14min: hmmm, maybe it’s because Betis are man-marking Ruud? playing Ruud in the midfield would draw out the defender from the goal area… or maybe they’re man-marking vdV, and Schuster wants to free up space in the midfield? i dunno.
16min: Heinze is looking pretty shaky tonight. Weird, wild legs flailing about on high balls, tackles and challenges.
17min: Betis attacking pretty well now, led by Emana and Capi… Real’s defending is shockingly poor. Maybe the match against Gijon went to their heads.
19min: GOAL!!! vdV takes a brilliant free kick from the left and curls it on a platter for Heinze, who goes unmarked by the poor Betis defence. Real Betis 0-1 Real Madrid.
20min: Ooh, quick chance for Sergio Garcia as he worms his way into the box. His shot goes over the goal.
21min: Another chance for Betis, this time it’s Emana forcing Casillas to dive to his left for a save. Madrid isn’t closing down on attackers quick enough.
22min: Ugh, Ruud is definitely not a midfielder. His attempt at a cross-field pass sails into the crowd.
24min: Schuster’s rocking a pretty casual look tonight. Black polo shirt with a grey sweater draped over his shoulders, haha.
29min: Oh! Marcelo picks out de la Red in the middle of the field and after one touch, he lashes a shot, but Casto again tips it away from danger. Great shot but a great save too.
30min: Heheh, cute little backheel pass from Diarra to get away from a defender. He’s way more talented than he’s given credit for.
30min: Pepe breaks out and leads an attack… what’s he doing so far up the pitch when we’ve got the lead? it’s not like we’re lacking in offensive talent.
31min: ugh, bad giveaway by Heinze who starts off with loads of time but still manages to boot it straight to a Betis attacker… luckily, Betis don’t seem that inclined to do anything with it and manage to give it right back.
33min: the match is starting to really open up now, though more from wayward passes and loss of possession than any real attacking and counterattacking, heheh.
37min: OH! Damia beats Marcelo to the ball on the right side of the box but he blazes his shot over the goal.
38min: Retarded move by vdV to get a yellow card and give away a free kick.
39min: Betis look alternately really terrible or, in a few inspired moments, really good if unlucky…
40min: Idiot challenge by Marcelo, a studs-up move that earns him a yellow card.
41min: OH! vdV takes a free kick and again serves up a great ball, but Damia just gets his toes on the ball as Sergio Ramos was diving in to try to put his head on it. If that got through, that would’ve been in the back of the net.
43min: Juanito bundles over Raul to give Real a free kick… de la Red takes it this time, but it’s a poor delivery.
44min: Sergio Garcia gets booked for a horrible challenge on van der Vaart, sticking out his foot, studs-up, on vdV’s follow-through… vdV goes down like a ton of bricks.
45min: OH! Emana is terribly unlucky as a deflected pass finds him in space on the edge of the 6-yard box but his first-taken shot is brilliantly saved by Casillas, with some assistance from the near post… pure reflexes.
45+1min: Ugh, Robben wastes a chance as he curls the ball wide with 3 other attackers available to his right. He should’ve passed it.
HALFTIME: Wow, that was a pretty eventful first half, though Real really is dominating possession. But Betis are pretty unlucky not to have gotten a goal, considering some of the less-than-convincing defending by the boys in blue.
HALFTIME: I’m sure Schuster is telling them to tighten up at the back… a one goal lead is not safe, and Betis are a better team than they’ve shown so far.
HALFTIME: this has nothing to do with the match, but i think my next Real jersey will have de la Red on the back.
46min: Wow, through 4.5 matches, Betis have only scored 2 goals… and both were taken in their last match against Barcelona!
47min: Ugh, Heinze gets nicked for a dodgy foul call, as Jose Mari goes down with little effort… the free kick right at the edge of the 18-yard box is wasted though as Betis go for trickery rather than a direct attack.
49min: Betis are doing better in the second half, still no result for them though.
52min: Ooh, Ruud goes it alone down the right wing, almost rounding the last defender before lashing a shot over the goal.
53min: NO! Marcelo allows Damia to get inside of him, and brings him down in the penalty area, giving up the penalty kick and getting a straight red card. Madrid down to 10 men.
54min: Sergio Garcia to take…
54min: GOAL!!! Casillas makes the save on the spot kick, but the rebound goes straight back to Garcia who puts it in the empty side. No chance for the Madrid defenders to react. It was a pretty good save, but Iker should’ve tried to push the ball wide. Real Betis 1-1 Real Madrid.
55min: Betis are pouring forward now, attacking with gusto, though they’re helped by a giveaway by de la Red.
56min: Diarra has dropped back into central defence, with Heinze sliding over to the left.
59min: Torres is coming on now, with Raul being sacrificed… Diarra will go back to the midfield, and Torres is likely going to left back, though Ramos could slide over into the middle and leave Heinze out wide.
61min: It’s Torres on the left.
63min: OH! Jose Mari looked like he missed a glorious opportunity to put the home team ahead off a free kick play, but he was definitely offside.
64min: Free kick for Real, as Juanito brings down Robben. van der Vaart to take it…
65min: Meh, it goes out really long, no chance for an attempt on goal.
66min: Pavone comes on for Damia.
68min: Oooh… Miguel Torres makes a risky challenge on a Betis attacker inside the box, i think he’s lucky not to get a card or have a penalty given.
69min: Javi Garcia coming on for de la Red… Schuster is battening down the hatches.
70min: Then again, Real have already proven they can win even if shorthanded, with their 9-man win in the Supercopa final.
73min: Real are now pushing forward, able to keep possession… the cross from Torres is just a bit too high for Robben and Diarra.
75min: The crowd is getting on Casillas for taking his sweet time on a goal kick… and he gets a yellow card for wasting time. Doh.
76min: Considering that they’re down one man, Sergio Ramos is still doing a lot of attacking up the right wing.
76min: Babic on for Monzon.
79min: Real bomb forward on the counterattack… Ramos leads the way, cutting back for Javi Garcia, whose pass across the goal is just ahead of Ruud.
80min: Great save by Casillas on Mehmet Aurelio’s header.
81min: Drenthe comes on van der Vaart.
82min: Miguel Torres gives up another foul, this time just outside the box…
82min: Great clearance by Sergio Ramos on the goal line from the free kick!
82min: Sergio Garcia gets sent off! He gets a second yellow for clipping Drenthe from behind, as the Dutchman was streaking up after Ramos’ clearance.
83min: Now it’s even up again, 10 on 10. Will the extra space give Real the advantage?
85min: Ilic comes on for Emana.
86min: The ref is really letting the play carry on if there’s a foul… Betis gain a free kick after they can’t play on the advantage.
86min: Real botch up an attack… Javi Garcia really needs to work on his touch.
88min: Diarra makes a great block on Jose Mari’s attempted cross, and Sergio Ramos clears…
89min: Juanito gets booked for time-wasting, as he picks up the ball, adamant that Diarra had put the ball over the touchline, but the ref disagreed…
90min: Oh! Torres is just a step too late on a great throughball from Ruud.
90+1min: 3 minutes of extra time.
90+1min: GOAL!!! Ruud steals all 3 points for Real! Casillas makes a save on a Betis attack and quickly tosses it out to Robben, who cuts through the middle and then passes it off to Ruud on the right. He looks like he’s kept it a touch too long, but he tucks the ball away just inside the far post. That surely is the winner! Real Betis 1-2 Real Madrid.
90+3min: And we’re done! GET IN!
POSTGAME: Well, Real Madrid do the deed at the death, thanks to ever-reliable Ruud. I was on pins and needles til then, because Betis really did look much better in the second half, and when they got the equalizer, i thought for sure they were going to go for the kill.
POSTGAME: But Real, resilient as ever now, held the fort and some inspired play from our Dutch contingent put us 2-1 to the good.
POSTGAME: Real move to 12 points from 5 matches, the only blemish coming from the loss at Deportivo in the first matchday. Betis stay on 2 points from 5 matches, increasing their measly goal total to 3.
POSTGAME: Man of the match for me is Ruud. He played out of position for a lot of the first half, not so much in the second, but did a workman’s job in tracking back… but his predatory instincts are as sharp as ever, with incisive passes, and of course, the cool touch on the ball when he decided to take the shot himself.
POSTGAME: Honourable mention to Robben who held up quite well… didn’t see him go down on any clumsy challenges, and he was a danger all night.
POSTGAME: Dishonourable mention for Marcelo. His defensive positioning still needs work, and it was his mistake that led directly to the Betis penalty.
POSTGAME: Espanyol are hosting Barcelona at the Montjuic in the Catalan derby. Go Espanyol!
POSTGAME: Ok, individual remarks… Casillas gets an ok from me. You couldn’t really fault him on the goal unless you think he could’ve steered the ball away from the middle of the penalty area. But he still seems a bit below his top form, spilling the ball a couple times.
POSTGAME: Sergio Ramos had a good game, marauding down the right wing. Pepe, aside from his first bobble, was pretty solid, and he too advanced purposefully. Heinze made some pretty clumsy challenges, but he did score a great header goal. Marcelo gets an epic FAIL from me. Terrible match for him, and i wouldn’t be surprised to see Torres get a few starts now.
POSTGAME: Diarra was solid, as always. de la Red was a bit unlucky not to score, but i think with more experience, he’ll learn to place those ferocious shots into the corners. Robben I’ve already mentioned. van der Vaart was great in the first half, good in the second. His set-piece deliveries are on par with Sneijder and Beckham, really serving them up well.
POSTGAME: Ruud, ’nuff said. Raul did decently in the first half, but was rather anonymous in the second half as Betis grew stronger.
POSTGAME: Torres acquitted himself well after Marcelo was sent off, but he still needs some seasoning. I think the ref could’ve given a penalty on the same type of foul that got Marcelo his red card. Javi Garcia played in the double pivot with Diarra after replacing de la Red, but he needs to work on his touch, after giving away possession while on the attack. Drenthe came on and played like a livewire, really making things dangerous with his pace on the left and in the middle of the pitch.
POSTGAME: alright, i’m pretty much done… all in all, not a great win, but 3 points nonetheless, and temporary lead in the Primera Division. Done and done.