Real Madrid qualify for the Last 16 stage of the Champions League1-0: Mission accomplished
Good enough. The Whites go through to the next stage thanks to a hard fought victory over a feisty Steaua Bucharest and the victory of Olympique Lyonnais over Dynamo Kyiv. The Merengues has the best opportunities, although the match was tough and there was uncertainty until the very end. Nicolita scored an own goal, the only one of the night. Olympique await in two weeks for the final group outcome.
The atmosphere far surpassed any typical group stage encounter, spiced up by the thousands of Romanians in the stands who came to see their country's top team and who did not stop shouting and supporting one single minute. The match was Real Madrid's first chance to mathematically go through to the Last 16 stage. They had to win and wait for Olympique Lyonnais to do likewise in their home match against Dynamo. It wasn't going to be an easy chore, as Capello and Guti had already warned on the eve. It was plain to see that they were absolutely right, with the game completely tied up in midfield as the match unfolded.
From the initial whistle, the Romanians positioned themselves comfortably on the pitch, denoting their know-how and good tactical sense: they waited for their rival, with two very compact lines in front of their box... crouching down, waiting to break away quickly and kill their prey in counterattack. And so, they waited. They controlled in defense and did not renounce any attacking possibility. The first chance was theirs, in minute 10, with an incursion down the wing. But the cross found no strikers to kick the ball in.
Real Madrid lined up the same eleven that thrashed the Eastern European team two weeks ago. But the home team was thick tonight, finding it hard to bring their ideas to fruition. The battle was being fought in midfield, where Diarra, Emerson and Guti were unable to deploy the fast-paced and direct game that's so much to the liking of Capello. As has happened in the last games, only Robinho tried anything different down the left wing. He and Roberto Carlos were the first ones to shoot on goal. It was from outside the box, but none of the shots brought any danger for Steaua.
Raúl moved throughout the width and length of the field of play, trying to find free spaces and looking to surprise the defense, but the Romanians responded with solid defending and fast breaks. Eighteen minutes into the game, the referee had refrained from calling anything in two controversial plays, one in either box. The second immediately gave way to the first counterattack of the Madridistas. Raul quickly put the ball in play after a foul. Guti opened up the game to Robinho, near the sideline, but the winger was unable to connect with Van Nistelrooy, who was waiting all alone in front of the goal. This marked a turning point in the first half: the Romanian team shaped up, kept control of the ball, and denied Madrid any chance as they built up their opportunities. None of them were truly dangerous, until Badea forced Iker Casillas to perform a superb diving save after 38 minutes.
The best chances
The first half ended on a good note, with the best chance of the match for Real Madrid. Diarra crossed from the right and Van Nistelrooy headed the ball. The Romanian keeper saved the header with his hand and the subsequent kick of the Dutch striker with his foot. The third and final try was kicked out by Cannavaro. The Madrid-Steaua comparative stats were revealing at halftime: 7 for 8 shots, only 3 of which were on target for both sides.
The second half started just like the first. This time, it was Helguera who missed the clearest of chances. He shot wide a cross by Ramos with his whole body practically inside the opponent's goal. The Romanians were still alive and kicking, but their pace had decreased somewhat. The ball was now entirely in the feet of the Spanish side, with Guti in command.
The best was yet to come. The match was about to go crazy with the first goal, an unfortunate play by Nicolita who passed back to the keeper with the bad luck of scoring an own goal. What hadn't materialised in head-on opportunities came after a misfortune, with the ball tamely trotting its way into the back of the net.
Things started looking up and Real Madrid suddenly got very ambitious, first with a header by Ramos after a free-kick by Beckham, who had come in for Diarra, followed by a penalty called on Van Nistelrooy. But, incredibly once again, the Dutchman sent his penalty shot wide, all the way to the second stand. Although it was already planned, Ronaldo came in for Ruud Van Nistelrooy right after the missed penalty. Madrid continued to dominate, with chances trickling down to the very last second, and with a very active Ronaldo on the left wing. Both the number '9' and Guti could have signed the second of the night already in injury time, but it was not to be and the match remained a single goal win.
MATCH REPORT:
1 – REAL MADRID: Casillas; Ramos, Helguera, Cannavaro, Roberto Carlos; Raúl, Emerson, Diarra (Beckham 58’), Robinho (Reyes 85’); Guti and Van Nistelrooy (Ronaldo 73’).
0 – STEAUA BUCHAREST: Cernea, Goian, Oprita (Coman 84’), Petre, Nicolita, Marin, Paraschiv (Lovin 80’), Ghionea (Thereau 80’), Stancu, Dica and Badea .
GOALS:
1-0, min. 69: Nicolita, own goal.
1 – REAL MADRID: Casillas; Ramos, Helguera, Cannavaro, Roberto Carlos; Raúl, Emerson, Diarra (Beckham 58’), Robinho (Reyes 85’); Guti and Van Nistelrooy (Ronaldo 73’).
0 – STEAUA BUCHAREST: Cernea, Goian, Oprita (Coman 84’), Petre, Nicolita, Marin, Paraschiv (Lovin 80’), Ghionea (Thereau 80’), Stancu, Dica and Badea .
GOALS:
1-0, min. 69: Nicolita, own goal.
REFEREE: Konrad Plautz (Austrian). Booked Nicolita (36’) and Cernea (66’).
HIGHLIGHTS: Fourth match of the Champions League group stage played at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Match report by Luis Navarro
Photos by David R. Anchuelo, Daniel Sastre & Fernando Comeche
Translation by Luis Orueta
posted by khalidmrrakchi@hotmail.com @ 1:38 PM
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