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Real Madrid 3-1 Deportivo Coruña: Real Madrid march on... just 180 minutes away from celebrating the League title!

Real Madrid, oé, oé, oé to the beat of White-handed clapping. This is the way that an elated and crammed Santiago Bernabéu received the League leaders, Real Madrid, which featured the exact same eleven that had defeated Recreativo Huelva 3-2 last week. It was the penultimate clash at the Madridista Colosseum with the Primera Liga at stake and against a sturdy opponent. The truth is Deportivo Coruña were in no real need, but fought for pride and glory.

The team coached by Joaquín Caparrós began the game fully concentrated on the task at hand: perfect positioning and good defensive disposition, with up to six footballers in the midfield, and little to offer up ahead. That said, Depor managed three chances worth mentioning in the first period: Arizmendi (min.11), Capdevila (min.13), and the most dangerous one, with 39 minutes on the clock, when Roberto Carlos cleared the ball after a cross by the most dangerous and active blue-and-white man: Cristian.

But Real Madrid don't mind the rival. It is true that they're thankful with the teams that come to play football as opposed to those leathery teams who put all eleven men behind the ball and pressurise ball movement, as was the case this evening. But in this last stretch of the championship, the local team have proved that they are prepared physically and psychologically to face and resolve any adversity. Seven minutes into the match, Real Madrid had their first opportunity via the Captain, Raúl –who tonight levelled with Gento at 605 official appearances. Henceforth, the Whites took command of the game, which they always had under control.

The Bernabéu faithful witnessed the drive of their team, who wanted to hit halftime leading in the scoreline. Before the evening's first, they applauded the constant effort of Gago, Diarra, Raúl, Torres, Ramos, and so on...; the first touch plays to drive the ball forward all the way back from defence, perfectly marshalled by Fabio Cannavaro; the strategically mounted counter-attacks, with Ruud Van Nistelrooy leaning towards the right flank; the cross-field passing by Roberto Carlos; Beckham's well-taken free kicks -the most dangerous of all eight minutes past halftime, when the ball crashed against the woodwork-; the exquisite technique made in Robinho; and, of course, the saves by Iker Casillas.

The Bernabéu pleads for a goal...
Real Madrid were in control of the game but the Bernabéu pleaded for a goal. The opener came seconds before the half hour. Roberto Carlos drove the ball down the left touchline and passed it to Beckham. The Englishman lifted his head and curled the ball inside the box. Van Nistelrooy jumped well over his two markers and headed in only to find Aouate's hands. The ball was dead in mid-box, but Sergio Ramos was on hand to ram the ball to the back of the Deportivo net.

Nerves... but not for long
It has become somewhat of a custom to add some excitement to the games, seeing how well Madrid are faring with heroic actions or goals of late. The Galicians levelled the score ten minutes after the restart, which gave way to some nervousness and uncertainty. Before the goal, Iker Casillas had earned his daily share of praise after a treble save from point-blank range. But one minute later, there was nothing he could to deny the left-footed tip by Capdevila following an assist by Canadian footballer De Guzmán.

And so, it was high time for an all-out attack. If there was a player who deserved a goal, that was David Beckham, who minutes earlier had clubbed a free kick against the post, bending it like only he can. It could have been the 2-0, but it was not meant to be. Neither was Robinho's finish following a swift counter staged by Real Madrid's number '23'.


But Beckham soon found his bounty, because his was the beautiful cross from the right that Raúl headed home. The skipper broke another record: with 187 goals in La Liga, he is now Real Madrid's second all-time top scorer, having overtaken Santillana and placing himself just behind Alfredo Di Stéfano.

The Bernabéu's all fun and games!
And who else who could put the cherry to cap it all off but the man who cannot stop scoring goals: he scored away against Celta, Athletic Bilbao, and Reacreativo Huelva, and at home opposite Sevilla and Valencia. The Pichichi is on a roll and so, he did it again against Deportivo. The kudos for the play and for his entire game go to this team's leader: Raúl once again proved what a throughbred footballer he is, fighting for the ball in a burrowing play inside the Deportivo area, subjected to a penalty that went uncalled, and then shoving the ball forward just enough for Van The Man to score his 23rd League goal of the season, just three shy from the Golden Shoe award.

The Bernabéu was a real party... all fun and games from that point forward, with the fans applauding and chanting Spanish olés. The Whites make the mark again and march on with just two matches to play: Zaragoza away and Mallorca at home after the international duty break this following week… All Madridistas had only one thing in mind after the final whistle: the next time, we could be celebrating La Liga.


Match report by Cristina Monge
Photos by Ángel Martínez & Daniel Sastre
Translation by Luis Orueta

posted by khalidmrrakchi@hotmail.com @ 12:54 AM