La Liga Week 6: Raul's Double Gets Draw For Real Madrid
October 6th 2008 16:43
While their rival, Barcelona, displayed an electrifying performance on Saturday, Madrid could only settle for a point on Sunday as their offense suffered several misfires. All four goals were scored in the first half, and although Madrid dominated the game in terms of possession, they couldn't find the winning goal that could've put them in third place.
The first goal was scored by Tamudo on a penalty-kick at the 19th minute after Heinze tackled the striker inside the box. I've said it before, and I'll say it again – Heinze should retire once and for all. He is too slow for the pace of the game, and commits too many mistakes. Five minutes later, Raul equalized on a header, showing that he still has the nose for goal. Espanyol would score once more at the 30th minute, but Raul would cancel it with his second right before half-time.
The one thing I didn't understand in Bernd Schuster's formation is why Robben was excluded from the starting line-up. With slow-mo Heinze as the left-back, Madrid had little to no offense on the left side which prevented them from effectively pressuring Espanyol's defense. Without Robben, not only Madrid lacked penetration on the left, but also allowed Espanyol to be more relaxed when attacking. Usually when Casillas stops opponents' attacks, his first target for the counter is Robben who is able to move past opposing defenders with blazing speed. This time around, Madrid didn't have that option and it hurt their transition game. It didn't help that Van der Vaart had an average night where all of his shots were completely off the mark, limiting even more the defending champions' attack. The good news is that Sneijder played his first game in two months, coming on as a substitute. He didn't have a great impact on the field but it's only a matter of time before he gains full-match fitness.
Real Madrid's line-up: Iker Casillas; Sergio Ramos, Fabio Cannavaro, Pepe, Gabriel Heinze; Mahamadou Diarra, Gonzalo Higuain (Arjen Robben, h-t (Royston Drenthe, 69th)), Rafael Van der Vaart, Ruben De La Red (Wesley Sneijer, 65th); Raul, Ruud Van Nistelrooy.
The first goal was scored by Tamudo on a penalty-kick at the 19th minute after Heinze tackled the striker inside the box. I've said it before, and I'll say it again – Heinze should retire once and for all. He is too slow for the pace of the game, and commits too many mistakes. Five minutes later, Raul equalized on a header, showing that he still has the nose for goal. Espanyol would score once more at the 30th minute, but Raul would cancel it with his second right before half-time.
The one thing I didn't understand in Bernd Schuster's formation is why Robben was excluded from the starting line-up. With slow-mo Heinze as the left-back, Madrid had little to no offense on the left side which prevented them from effectively pressuring Espanyol's defense. Without Robben, not only Madrid lacked penetration on the left, but also allowed Espanyol to be more relaxed when attacking. Usually when Casillas stops opponents' attacks, his first target for the counter is Robben who is able to move past opposing defenders with blazing speed. This time around, Madrid didn't have that option and it hurt their transition game. It didn't help that Van der Vaart had an average night where all of his shots were completely off the mark, limiting even more the defending champions' attack. The good news is that Sneijder played his first game in two months, coming on as a substitute. He didn't have a great impact on the field but it's only a matter of time before he gains full-match fitness.
Real Madrid's line-up: Iker Casillas; Sergio Ramos, Fabio Cannavaro, Pepe, Gabriel Heinze; Mahamadou Diarra, Gonzalo Higuain (Arjen Robben, h-t (Royston Drenthe, 69th)), Rafael Van der Vaart, Ruben De La Red (Wesley Sneijer, 65th); Raul, Ruud Van Nistelrooy.
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