Real Madrid ease to a comfortable home win over Galatasaray

It was a perfect day at the office for Jose Mourinho and his boys as they emerged from their Quarterfinal 1st leg versus Galatasaray with a near perfect result. 3 goals giving them a sizable advantage going into the 2nd leg in Istanbul and no away goals conceded.


Fabio Coentrao and Raphael Varane, who were both doubtful before the game, were passed fit and took the field for Madrid. Michael Essien came in for Alvaro Arbeloa at right back in the only change to the starting XI from the side that played Manchester United in both games. Cristiano Ronaldo scored the customary Champions League goal for the 4th consecutive game in a row. It was a beautiful finish from the Portuguese who chipped it over the onrushing Fernando Muslera after receiving a neat through ball from Mesut Ozil.

Galatasaray though showed plenty of adventure and were not content on sitting back. Felipe Melo in the middle of the park had a very good game for the visitors. He was involved in most of the good work and the Turkish side showed good attacking intent as they tested Diego Lopez in the Madrid goal with some long rangers. However, playing such an open game they fell prey to Real's scythe like attack on the counter. Angel Di Maria had another good Champions League outing and Fatih Terim's side were finding it difficult to contain the runs of Ronaldo and Di Maria. Karim Benzema then added the second for the home side, when he chested down a Michael Essien before effecting a cool finish at the near post.

Despite going 2 goals down, Gala still strove forward looking to attack and had a decent spell of possession before half-time, but couldn't break down the Madrid defence where both Sergio Ramos and Varane had another excellent game. But, in the second half, it was all Madrid as Galatasaray faded with their players looking fatigued and their lack of experience at this stage. Real did not really have to get out of third gear and were in cruise control and soon got the third of the night when substitute Gonzalo Higuain, who had come on for Benzema, headed in Xabi Alonso's free-kick.

A job well done for Mourinho that sees Madrid with one foot already in the semi-finals as Galatasaray will need nothing short of a miracle to overturn this one. And they will have to do it without their ace marksman Burak Yilmaz, who picked up a yellow for simulation, when replays actually showed that a penalty should have been awarded for Ramos's stamp on the Turkish forward. Ramos did pick up a yellow eventually, with some claiming it was intentional, just like 2 years ago in order to clean his slate before the semis. But, the gulf in class between the 2 sides was evident on the night and it might be one that Fatih Terim and Galatasaray may not be able to bridge even in front of their home fans in Istanbul.

A Real Gala Affair

Joyous midweek if you are a football fan with passions (and tension) running high. The starry European nights are here, the very reason why Sir Alex Ferguson claims he is reluctant to hang up his boots just yet. For 3 of the Quarter-finalists tonight - Malaga, Galatasaray and Borussia Dortmund - it marks a special occasion indeed. They are in the business end of the UEFA Champions League and that doesn't happen very often.

Real Madrid are in pursuit of the 'Decima', a 10th European crown. Madrid are the royalty of Europe already, but a 10th title would just push them into an exalted status altogether. For Jose Mourinho, it's the dream of a 3rd crown with as many teams, something that nobody has ever achieved before. With Barcelona running away with the league title, all of Madrid's energies are focused on claiming the big European prize. They were very close last year, going out agonizingly on penalties to Bayern Munich in front of their home fans. And Mourinho and his men would look to make that final step this year.

Cristiano Ronaldo is doing what Cristiano Ronaldo does - scoring goals, making plays, defying gravity to hang in the air, you name it. He is joint top scorer in this year's competition with 8 goals. He shares that mantle with a guy who he will line up against tonight, more on him later. An emotional encounter with his former club Manchester United in the previous round was a dicey one, but Real pulled through and he scored 2 goals to help them on their way. They have stuttered in the league, but then again it's understandable considering where their priorities lie.

What bodes well for them is the return to form of current captain Sergio Ramos and the emergence of teenager Raphael Varane that has strengthened the defence. The duo were Madrid's standout players in the tie against United and especially in the 2nd leg were the 2 best players on the pitch along with keeper Sergio Lopez. They still struggle when they are given the ball and forced to dictate the play and United exploited this weakness very well.

What they do have in plenty is goals and electric pace up top with Ronaldo, Angel di Maria and Gonzalo Higuain forming a lethal trio that can tear into any side. They were before yesterday, the best attacking side along with Bayern having scored 19 goals in 8 games. Once again the first leg is at home, and Real will be keen to put this tie to bed right here, right now before embarking on their trip to 'Hell'.

Turkish football is always associated with emotionally charged passionate crowds, colorful and vibrant atmosphere and players and managers who tend to play with their hearts on their sleeves. Fatih Terim, 'the Emperor' as he is called, has steered Galatasaray into the final 8. And whatever folks may say, they have earned their right to be here. You must be doing something right when you have the competition's joint leading goal scorer in your ranks. Burak Yilmaz has been on a tear in the Champions League and has matched Ronaldo when it comes to scoring. What is of real significance is that Gala have netted only 11 goals so far and Yilmaz has bagged 8 of them. Real though have failed to keep a single clean sheet so far and that will be encouraging news for the Turks as they will look to take back a precious away goal.

Didier Drogba is one man who striker who knows how to take his team to glory as he exemplified last year. He has joined the Turkish giants along with Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder to add some bite and Champions League winning experience to the squad. It has been 12 years since Galatasaray made it this far, way back in 2000-01 and it was Real who stopped them, emerging 5-3 winners on aggregate after each side won its home leg. They are charged with a mammoth task once more and while not impossible, it is isn't the easiest. Plus, with Madrid having had a big 2 games against United, you'd reckon they would have dusted off any rust and have that big game win under their belts. While for Gala, they did well to rally to beat Schalke, but this is a stern test for them.

TEAM NEWS

Fabio Coentrao and Raphael Varane both missed the game at the weekend and are rated doubtful for tonight's encounter. Varane, if he doesn't make it, will be a big miss as he was one of their key guys against United repelling many an attack. Iker Casillas is fit again, but it is very unlikely that Mourinho will start the Spanish captain preferring to go with Diego Lopez instead.

Engin Baytar and Aydin Yilmaz have not traveled to Spain and that means Johan Elmander (remember him from Bolton Wanderers) could feature. Otherwise, the Emperor has a full complement of players to choose from.

Galatasaray have improved markedly since the competition began and have gotten better with every game. With Yilmaz firing in front of goal and new additions Drogba and Sneijder, they carry a sizable threat. The first leg though will be important as a heavy defeat could leave them with too much to do in Istanbul. Real at their best this season have been unplayable especially when Ronaldo and Di Maria get on the ball. Plus there's a certain 'the Special One' in their corner, who knows all about winning the Champions League. It could very well turn out like their last encounter with home wins for each side with Madrid scoring more.

Fatih Terim before the game said: "When the draw was made, we drew a team whose goal it is to win the trophy. Madrid have some of the most important players and maybe the best coach in the world. We know very well who we are facing but in the Champions League we have already proved our strength and belief. We will have a great game regardless of the result." So we can expect goals and a good dose of entertainment, it sure does promise to be a Real Gala affair.

UEFA Champions League: What we learnt from this week's action

 The first set of Round of 16 clashes in the UEFA Champions League was completed this week. Four teams have progressed into the next round – Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Juventus, and PSG. The match at Old Trafford which saw Real overcome Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United was by far the talking point of many a discussion this week, but the other teams in working their way into the quarterfinals will receive their fair share of the spotlight in the coming rounds. Amongst the many plots and subplots that panned out, here are a few takeaways that emerged from the clashes this week.

Manchester United – Real Madrid

Sir Alex got his tactics spot on for the game and his side had much the better of Madrid until the sending off. Ferguson having got burnt with a more attacking approach the last two times he’s encountered the Spanish giants, played his cards to perfection. The move was a reflection of his increased tactical nous in Europe, something which he has been often criticized for. The fact that United have only won 2 Champions League titles for all of their domestic dominance continues to be a cause for much heartburn for Fergie during his 26 year reign at United. 

The game also brought to light the increased maturity in some of United’s younger players such as Rafael and Danny Welbeck. Rafael was only a few years back dismissed as a headless chicken and someone who was considered a liability for Sir Alex. This is no longer true as the Brazilian has come of age and is now looking solid both domestically as well as in Europe.

Danny Welbeck, for me, was THE outstanding player for United across the two legs. His electric pace coupled with physical strength and running bodes well for the Manchester club and he offers something different in the four pronged forward line of United’s. Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane needed to be at their very best to contain the young forward. He does need to improve his finishing though, but this tie has shown that the true blue Manchester lad can mix it with the best in Europe.

Cristiano Ronaldo is currently the best player on the planet - make no mistake. He is single-handedly carried this Madrid team this season and the kind of consistency that he has brought into his game is incredible. He also possesses such an all-round game that he can pose a threat to opposing defenses in more than one way. Good in the air and off the ground, threat at set pieces and with electric pace and dribbling skills, Ronaldo, in my opinion, has just moved ahead of Lionel Messi in the pecking order.

Real coach Jose Mourinho possesses two things in wholesome quantities – European experience and championship winning good fortune. Both were at the fore this week, as he once again took advantage of a fortuitous decision and made the right substitutions that gave his side the advantage. 

Another quality of Mourinho that has helped in his drive to success is his objective ability to see his teams play bad even in defeat.  And Real will need to improve markedly if they are to go on and win the ‘Decima’. Twice United managed to slow them down by taking the pace out of the game and conceding possession daring Los Blancos to take the initiative. 

Jose Mourinho said after the game that ‘the best team lost’. Taken alongside pre-match comments showering praise on the Manchester club, it looks evident that Mourinho is keen on taking up the manager’s role at OT sometime in the near future.

Ryan Giggs’ display on Tuesday night went some way to showing why he has been offered a 1-year contract extension at the tender age of 39. The Welshman has put in terrific performances in the league as well and his 1,000th international bow was earned and not handed to him by Sir Alex.

And, as for Wayne Rooney, while being benched for arguably the biggest game of the season is a setback, it is by no means a sign that it is the beginning of the end for the English striker. However, what it offers is a peek into the change in status that he now carries at Old Trafford. 

Borussia Dortmund – Shakhtar Donetsk

Dortmund are one of the finest attacking teams in Europe. Under Juergen Klopp, they play an attractive brand of football that most opponents find difficult to cope with. But, one of the primary reasons for their below par League defence this season has been their unusually leaky defence. They have already conceded more goals this season than the previous two and it could be a weakness that gets exploited by stronger teams in the latter stages of the competition. But, they still look a good bet to make the semis of the competition.

In Mario Gotze, Marko Reus, Jakub ‘Kuba’ Blaszcyszkowski and Robert Lewandowski, they have one of the most potent attacking quartets around. And how effectively they click will go a long way in determining how Dortmund’s season shapes up in the latter stages.

Mat Hummels has to now start being considered amongst the best defenders in Europe. The German international is a brilliant reader of the game and is also a ball-playing defender who can initiate the offense from the back. Also, a rugged tackler of the football, he has kept his game up even as colleague Neven Subotic has struggled with injury and Brazilian Felipe Santana has been inconsistent.

PSG – Valencia

PSG’s progression really cannot be talked up much. Valencia are a struggling side with nowhere close to the finances that the Parisian club have access to. PSG’s performance was more efficient than destructive as they crafted their victory out. 

What they can boast of is some mercurial talent on their rolls in the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic along with Javier Pastore, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Lucas Moura and with the reassuring presence of Carlo Ancelotti at the helm, a man who has overseen successful European campaigns; they will be a tough team to beat.

Juventus – Celtic

The Italian champions effectively ended the tie with their clinical performance away in the first leg. They put up another efficient showing at home to achieve a 5-0 thrashing of a Celtic team that looked out of its depth in this stage of the contest. Juve have to be looked at as genuine contenders and as with all Italian teams, they started slowly, but have been building momentum as they've progressed.

Their defence and midfield match up with the best in the business and they also have veteran experience to call upon. Midfield maestro Andrea Pirlo is having another stellar season pulling the strings at the heart of the Juve midfield. With the industry of Arturo Vidal and Paul Pogba, the Italians have a solid look about them and they are capable of grinding out results if necessary. They do lack a top draw striker though.

For Celtic, it has been a magnificent season regardless of their Round of 16 humbling. Theirs has been one of the stories of the year but the gulf in class between them and the big boys was apparent. Personnel, tactics and experience were the areas they were found wanting and with sound investment in those areas under the astute leadership of Neil Lennon there is no reason to believe we won’t be seeing more of them in coming seasons.

Manchester United vs Real Madrid: 2nd leg, Old Trafford

The last time Real Madrid came calling to Old Trafford, a man named Ronaldo stole the show with his brilliance. That was the Brazilian striker, nicknamed 'El Phenomeno', who scored a quiet magnificent hat-trick that sealed United's fate in that season's UEFA Champions League at the Quarterfinal stage. 

That magnificent treble saw the Brazilian receive a standing ovation at the famous Stretford End in appreciation of his display. Now, 10 years later, Real return to Manchester with another Ronaldo in their ranks - Cristiano Ronaldo. And boy is he going to receive a reception from the United faithful; even before the start of the game.

Cristiano Ronaldo returns to Manchester United for the first time since his 80 million pound move to Real Madrid in the summer of 2009. While, it broke many a fan's heart to see him go, there is absolutely no doubt that he his loved and adored for his marvellous contributions to the Red Devils' success in his 6 seasons with them. The boy wonder who left Manchester returns an Unstoppable force of Nature.

The tie is evenly poised after the first leg at the Bernabeu between the two sides ended 1-1. Ronaldo did score in that game, pulling Madrid back on level terms with a 'hang-time' header after Danny Welbeck had put United ahead. Man United have the away goal and would seem to hold a slight advantage as Real have to score while a goalless draw would suit Sir Alex Ferguson's side just fine. But, as anyone who has had the opportunity to witness the two teams in action since the first leg would tell you, the possibility of that happening is lower than the sight of Rio Ferdinand outrunning Cristiano Ronaldo in a straight sprint.

FORM

Real since the draw, have enjoyed a stellar month of football winning all 4 of their games including 2 back to back victories against arch rivals Barcelona. What would be a welcome source of relief to boss Jose Mourinho would be the return of some rhythm in Madrid's game and the attacking prowess on display with Argentine winger Angel di Maria coming into his own to support Ronaldo up front. 

The Red Devils too have been perfect winning all 3 games even with leading scorer Robin Van Persie on a bit of a drought. The Dutchman who failed to put away a glorious chance in the first leg that would have surely put his side in the driving seat has now gone 4 games without a goal and United fans would be hoping he bucks the trend in tonight's game against Los Blancos.

TEAM NEWS

Captain and goalkeeper Iker Casillas is the only notable absentee for Jose Mourinho's side as he recovers from a broken hand with all the other major players available for selection.

Phil Jones, who had a standout game at the Santiago Bernabeu, is ruled out of the game with an injury, but you wouldn't be surprised to see him feature as Ferguson has been known to pull a fast one. The young Englishman was one of the key cogs in United's away performance as they managed to see off the danger of Ronaldo and his colleagues. Ferguson has mentioned that veteran Ryan Giggs will feature in tonight's clash deeming it the perfect setting for the Welshman to make his 1,000th international appearance.

KEY BATTLES

Real Madrid love to play on the counter; they are happy to concede possession and let the opponent have the ball confident in their abilities to score on the counter punch. The speed and guile with which they break is breathtaking as Barcelona found out recently when they were left chasing shadows. United like to play expansive football at home bringing the full backs and wingers into play, but having scored the away goal would not be too reluctant to keep it tight early. 

Ronaldo will without doubt hog a fair share of the limelight on his return and it will be interesting to see how the home side's right-back Rafael fares against him in Round 2; the Portuguese the clear winner in Round 1. Also, in Jones' absence, Ferguson would have to decide whether to bring in Tom Cleverley or Giggs to partner Michael Carrick in central midfield. 

Mourinho is likely to field the same side that took to the field in the 1st leg with the impressive Raphael Varane in defence alongside Sergio Ramos. Sami Khedira and Xabi Alonso would sit in midfield allowing Mesut Ozil to roam up front just behind the striker with Ronaldo and Di Maria patrolling out wide. 

Shinji Kagawa and Nani have put in impressive performances to boost their chances of selection for the big game as Ferguson ponders who to pick as wingers with Welbeck also in the mix as he is known to track back and help out in defence in addition to being a threat from set pieces. Wayne Rooney has also quietly hit a purple patch of sorts scoring as well as setting up goals.

Carrick and Alonso will set the direction for their respective sides and that midfield tussle along with how well Rafael and co. deal with the returning Ronaldo will go a huge way in deciding the course of this contest.

Real this season have scored in every away game and it does look like United will need to score 2 at the minimum to guarantee progress. On the flip side, Madrid are yet to keep a clean sheet on their travels and that would give United a fillip.

Ferguson has failed on two previous attempts to get past Real, in 1999-00 and the 2002-03 seasons, both in the quarterfinals. He will look to set that record straight tonight. Mourinho who is rumoured to leave Madrid at the end of the season will be keen to sign off on a winning note claiming Europe's top prize with a third different team.

Ronaldo, Van Persie, Rooney, Ferguson, Mourinho. If that ain't an A-list cast, then nothing is. A starry night at Old Trafford beckons; a packed Theatre will turn up to witness some of the finest Actors in football's world stage. And at the end of it all, when the final whistle blows, one team would be able to continue the pursuit of its dreams while the other would have them shattered. 

LIKELY XI's

Man United: De Gea, Evra, Ferdinand, Evans, Rafael, Giggs/Cleverley, Carrick, Kagawa, Welbeck, Rooney, Van Persie

Real Madrid: Lopez, Coentrao, Varane, Ramos, Arbeloa, Alonso, Khedira, Ozil, Di Maria, Ronaldo, Higuain/Benzema

All Square at the Bernabeu

Real Madrid had to settle for a 1-1 draw in the 1st leg of their Round of 16 clash against Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League. Sir Alex Ferguson fielded a surprisingly attacking XI with Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney & Danny Welbeck all getting a start along with Japanese international Shinji Kagawa. Phil Jones after his stellar display in containing Marouane Fellaini on Sunday partnered Michael Carrick in midfield.Rio Ferdinand & Jonny Evans made up the central defensive pairing. Jose Mourinho went with French youngster Raphael Varane in central defence along with Sergio Ramos and started his trusted midfield trio of Mesut Ozil, Xabi Alonso & Sami Khedira. Karim Benzema started up top flanked by Cristiano Ronaldo & Angel di Maria.

Off an early opening, Fabio Coentrao signaled an early warning as his right footed shot struck the upright and rebounded safely away from goal. United soaked up the pressure and on 20 minutes took the lead through Danny Welbeck as he connected off Wayne Rooney's corner to head past Diego Lopez in goal. Welbeck had an impressive all round game for the visitors, running at defenders playing off van Persie, pressing when not in posession and as well as chasing back to defend. Madrid equalized 10 minutes later when Cristiano Ronaldo rose magnificently, hanging in the air, to head in an Angel di Maria cross. Both sides fashioned more openings in the half; Welbeck went close to grabbing a second for United flicking a van Persie cross goalwards only for Real keeperLopez to tip it behind while Di Maria & Ronaldo both went close with a couple of sizzling long range drives. Playing in front of a packed Santiago Bernabeu, the home team started like a house on fire playing at a very high tempo and taking the game to United early. 

United managed to wrest some amount of control in midfield in the 2nd half, but Madrid continued to pepper the Red Devils' goal with Khedira, Ronaldo, Di Maria & Gonzalo Higuain all bringing out a save from David De Gea. Spaniard De Gea was outstanding for Sir Alex's team pulling off a string of saves to keep United in the game, one of them an acrobatic clearance off the line with his right leg to stop a Coentrao effort. On the break, United fashioned some sporadic openings. On 73 minutes, RvP latching onto a through ball from Rooney broke into the box and struck a powerful right footed shot that cannoned off the crossbar much to the Madrid supporters' relief. Seconds later, van Persie received an aerial ball over the defence from Jones, but fluffed his finish from 10 yards out allowing Xabi Alonso to make the clearance. 

 The draw means that United have a valuable away goal and go home to Old Trafford level on aggregate. Madrid meanwhile will have to score and try and make the game as high scoring as possible. "It's very special to play against them, I have a lot of respect for them", mentioned Ronaldo in his post match interview adding, "They are a very strong team defensively. We played better and deserved to score more goals". Sir Alex Fergusonpraised the effort put in by his players while acknowledging the value of a draw, "It's a difficult place to come, but the players have dug in and got a good result". The return leg is at Old Trafford in the first week of March.

Real Madrid vs Manchester United: UEFA Champions League Round of 16 Preview

It Is THE tie of the 1^st Knock out round of the UEFA Champions League. Real Madrid versus Manchester United is always a special occasion and this year’s match-up is no different. The Red Devils are 3^rd in UEFA’s Club Co-efficient while Los Blancos are 4^th. It is not only a clash between 2 of the best sides in Club football but also a clash of two of the Best Managers around in Jose Mourinho & Sir Alex Ferguson.

United this season have been a club rejuvenated by the arrival of the ‘Flying Dutchman’ Robin van Persie from Arsenal. Though a little shaky at the back, going forward they have been magnificent with Van Persie the key cog in a fearsome attacking line-up complimented beautifully by Wayne Rooney, Javier Hernandez & Danny Welbeck.  They have scored an impressive 81 goals in all competitions with Van Persie accounting for 23 of them. They are 12 points clear of rivals Manchester City in the league and look set to claim their 20^th League title. Patrice Evra’s welcome return to form along with the maturity in right back Rafael’s play has been a huge part of United’s success this season, but the biggest difference has been Michael Carrick driving the play from midfield in the company of young Tom Cleverley and the lethal finishing up front from Van Persie, Rooney & co. They finished top of a relatively easy Group H with 12 points and though they lost 2 games, it was when Sir Alex fielded weakened sides.

Real Madrid on the other hand finished 2^nd in their Group with 11 points in what was the tournament’s Group of Death featuring champions of 4 major European leagues – Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City, Ajax – along with Los Blancos. Madrid have also been prolific in front of goal with 93 goals to their credit with Ronaldo scoring 36. However their season has been plagued by inconsistent form which has seen their title defence in La Liga fall by the wayside as they sit 3^rd 16 points adrift of leaders Barcelona. Amid reports of dressing room unrest and a fallout between Mourinho and some of the senior Spanish stars at the Bernabeu, Madrid aiming for the ‘Decima’, their 10^th European crown have done well in the Champions League where Ronaldo is the joint leading goal scorer with 6 goals and Mesut Ozil, Angel di Maria & Karim Benzema are joint third in the Assists section with 3 assists each.

The 2 managers also share a special relationship, one that started off with them being fierce rivals but later becoming very good buddies off the field with each holding the other in high esteem. Mourinho has even been tipped to be one of the successors to Sir Alex’s reign at Old Trafford when he eventually calls it a day.

For both teams, the strength lies in attack with their defences not exactly exuding confidence through the season though United with all 4 central defenders fully fit & keeper De Gea  in good form and Evra & Rafael’s improvement this season have an edge over Real in that part of the field. United will have to cut the supply from the likes of Xabi Alonso & Luka Modric in the Real midfield to Ronaldo & Ozil up front and Ferguson may well opt for a 5 man midfield for precisely this reason playing Carrick, Cleverley & Phil Jones in a central midfield flanked by the tireless Antonio Valencia on the right and Rooney dropping back on the left with Van Persie up top. Madrid’s ploy would be simple, to move the ball quickly and get it to their forwards  before United can set their defence and would not mind playing on the counter even though they’d be at home at the Santiago Bernabeu. Recent matches between the two have gone Madrid’s way with Real beating United in both 2000 and 2003 in the Quarterfinals stage.

It promises to be a fascinating encounter, filled with the intrigue of how that 1 man – Ronaldo – will fare against his former club, and how the Real backline will cope with the likes of United’s Rated ‘R’ attack of Rooney & Robin. As Mourinho stated recently – “The world is waiting for Real Madrid vs Manchester United”.