I Heart Real Madrid

Real Madrid vs Espanyol: Looking Better

Overall, cannot complain on the team’s performance as we pocketed three more points and gave a fairly good performance. I say fairly good due to the poor showing of Espanyol who visited the Bernabeu in pieces and once on the field they failed to create any chances and bored the hell out of Casillas. Amigo perico, I’m sorry for leaving your team closer to the bottom of the table. Anyway, I will highlight the positives of a easy game for Madrid. Vamos!

A spirited Kaka: After a week filled with so much negative press for Ricky it was good to see him displaying good football and scoring a much needed goal. He hadn’t scored since the match against Atleti, and on Saturday he clocked in his fourth goal and had several other chances to make it a double. He is still far from that Kaka that dazzled in Milan, but with time I am sure that he will set the Bernabeu on fire. On his official twitter account, Kaka thanked God for beating Espanyol and scoring the second goal. “My performance brings an end to all the negative speculation and lies created at the beginning of the week. Parabens, Ricky!

Granero was golden!: Yes, El Pirata was the man of the match with a killer performance. Every cross and corner he sent into the area connected with one of his teammates. Thanks to him both goals were scored and also had chances of his own to get on the score sheet, but a sensational Kameni did well to keep the score as low as possible. Marca conducted a poll asking whether Granero should continue in the starting line-up and the response was a dominating yes! I, for one, am with the more than 90% of voters who plead for his spot in the starting line-up.

Super Pipa!: Just in case there where those who had no idea in which team to choose between team Benzema or team Pipita, I think Saturday’s match put an end to such nonsense. The fans know it, Pellegrini knows, and the press knows it: it is all about team Pipita! The reaction by the fans to his return to the pitch was defening and clearly a blow to Benzema, who is still having difficulties catching up to Pipita. What Benzema could not do in 70 minutes, Pipita did in 20 with a crackling divine goal. It is good to have you back Pipita! Also thanks to not just this performance but his performance and goals throughout this first half of the season he will rightfully so get a raise in his salary supposedly nearing that of what Benzema earns. About freakin time!

Finally, the match leaves us with a few questions that deserve to be mentioned.
One, Pellegrini can finally count with a full squad of important players like Ronaldo, Lass, and Van der Vaart who are perfectly ready to go, so who gets left out as we have finally began to gel and deliver good football? Will Pellegrini continue with the current system of jugones: Guti-Granero-Kaka with Xabi being able to roam around the midfield freely, or will he return to ‘el doble pivot’ with Lass and Xabi being paired up in the middle?
Furthermore, Marca’s Enrique Ortega questions why can’t we continue with the brilliant performances of the first half into the second? There is a continuation of lackluster performances in the second period which could be because the team is relaxed because of the advantage or there is simply a drop in form. We saw it in El Riazor and many times before hand. Is it a question of physical fitness?

Anyway, the good thing is that our football is developing and as each game goes by the team looks stronger no matter what players are on the pitch. Next game away against Xerez, and then we can focus on the European stage. Crazy month ahead of us!