Back to Spurs - Under New Zealand Management
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undertheray
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We are behind Atletico by 6 points with 16 games left, and Sevilla snapping at my heels. Real Madrid and Barcelona can not be counted out and they are always a threat.
Atletico Madrid boast a very strong front four, consisting of:
....................S Aguero......................
S Jovetic.....Gourcuff.....A Sanchez
which easily explains the good form they are in!!
I think we can take them.
Wouldnt surprise me mate if you let everyone in for a little surprise and nip in for the title
undertheray
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Sure mate here you go:
AS Roma, currently managed by Frank Rijkaard. Since 2012 in Serie A, Genoa have won the title 5 times, while Inter Milan is the only other team to win since 2012, with 1 title. Roma consistently finish around 3rd/4th.
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And Edu Ramos, looks very average:
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undertheray
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FEBRUARY
First match of the month was a relatively comfortable 2-0 win in the La Liga away against Elche. Some good keeping prevented us scoring more, but Giovani dos Santos and Yacouba Keita managed to score to give us a secure 2-0 win.
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The Spanish Cup Semi Final first leg was played at Villarreal against Villarreal, and we went into this game with high hopes. A brace from Altidore before halftime, along with goals from Ronieli and Lago Junior, saw us ahead comfortably 4-1 at the break, and there was no change to this score, as we held on for the win.
Unfortunately, dos Santos picked up an ankle injury in this game, and will miss at most the next three weeks.
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A massive blow came next, as player-of-the-season-so-far, goalkeeper Remi Pillot, broke a finger in training, and will miss the next 5-6 weeks. A big blow, but hopefully Renan can step in and be big for us.
Our next match was at home in the La Liga against Athletic. Two goals each from Keita and Arda Turan, with another from Ian Adam, saw us run out dominant 5-1 winners. However, it should have been a clean sheet, except Renan - in goal for the injured Pillot - had a howler, dropping an easy long shot, and then trying to regather the rebound, but DROPPING that as well, right to the feet of the advancing striker! Hopefully he can recover, some big CL games coming up.
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The second leg of our Spanish Cup Semi Final against Villarreal was held at Neuvo Mestalla. Two defensive players managed goals - Marcq and Hansson - to do enough to secure a 2-2 draw (with some shaky goalkeeping again from Renan) and get us through to the final against Real Madrid with a 6-3 aggregate scoreline.
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Next fixture for Valencia was away in the La Liga against Recreativo, and another Renan howler in goal prevented victory. The 34 year old Brazilian goalkeeper spilled another long shot, for Acosta to get an easy tap in and put us down two to one. Perotti managed to pull a goal back for us in the second half, but - despite the return of Dos Santos from injury - that was all the scoring, as we deserved a win, but had to settle for a 2-2 draw.
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Not trusting Renan in our Champions League 1st Knockout Round first leg against Porto away, I chose to start 18 year old Ukrainian keeper Andriy Gavrylenko. He repaid my faith immediately, with some big saves to keep it level at halftime, despite Porto dominating us and deserving to score more. It took an unstoppable blast into the top corner from Hulk to give Porto the lead, but the late introduction of Altidore reaped the benefits as the American equalized. However a clumsy challenge in the box gave away a penalty, and Hulk was not going to be denied the chance to win, scoring and sealing a 2-1 win, leaving us with what could be a vital away goal in defeat.
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Renan came back in for the La Liga game against Sevilla at home, and he seemed to look better after being dropped, putting in a good performance. The Xavi-managed side are always threatening, but two goals apiece from Jozy Altidore and Yacouba Keita saw us run out dominant 4-0 winners, and for the second straight match against Sevilla, World Footballer of the Year Tom Halmes was sent off.
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The month ends with us having qualified for the Spanish Cup final, a good achievement, and needing a win over Porto, while we have what could prove to be a vital away goal. We really need our in-form keeper Remi Pillot back from injury, but unfortunately it could prove to be another month before his return. There is a match against La Liga-leaders Atletico Madrid coming up which we desperately want to win, and would be lucky if Pillot was fit in time.
First match of the month was a relatively comfortable 2-0 win in the La Liga away against Elche. Some good keeping prevented us scoring more, but Giovani dos Santos and Yacouba Keita managed to score to give us a secure 2-0 win.
View attachment 80654
The Spanish Cup Semi Final first leg was played at Villarreal against Villarreal, and we went into this game with high hopes. A brace from Altidore before halftime, along with goals from Ronieli and Lago Junior, saw us ahead comfortably 4-1 at the break, and there was no change to this score, as we held on for the win.
Unfortunately, dos Santos picked up an ankle injury in this game, and will miss at most the next three weeks.
View attachment 80655
A massive blow came next, as player-of-the-season-so-far, goalkeeper Remi Pillot, broke a finger in training, and will miss the next 5-6 weeks. A big blow, but hopefully Renan can step in and be big for us.
Our next match was at home in the La Liga against Athletic. Two goals each from Keita and Arda Turan, with another from Ian Adam, saw us run out dominant 5-1 winners. However, it should have been a clean sheet, except Renan - in goal for the injured Pillot - had a howler, dropping an easy long shot, and then trying to regather the rebound, but DROPPING that as well, right to the feet of the advancing striker! Hopefully he can recover, some big CL games coming up.
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The second leg of our Spanish Cup Semi Final against Villarreal was held at Neuvo Mestalla. Two defensive players managed goals - Marcq and Hansson - to do enough to secure a 2-2 draw (with some shaky goalkeeping again from Renan) and get us through to the final against Real Madrid with a 6-3 aggregate scoreline.
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Next fixture for Valencia was away in the La Liga against Recreativo, and another Renan howler in goal prevented victory. The 34 year old Brazilian goalkeeper spilled another long shot, for Acosta to get an easy tap in and put us down two to one. Perotti managed to pull a goal back for us in the second half, but - despite the return of Dos Santos from injury - that was all the scoring, as we deserved a win, but had to settle for a 2-2 draw.
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Not trusting Renan in our Champions League 1st Knockout Round first leg against Porto away, I chose to start 18 year old Ukrainian keeper Andriy Gavrylenko. He repaid my faith immediately, with some big saves to keep it level at halftime, despite Porto dominating us and deserving to score more. It took an unstoppable blast into the top corner from Hulk to give Porto the lead, but the late introduction of Altidore reaped the benefits as the American equalized. However a clumsy challenge in the box gave away a penalty, and Hulk was not going to be denied the chance to win, scoring and sealing a 2-1 win, leaving us with what could be a vital away goal in defeat.
View attachment 80659
Renan came back in for the La Liga game against Sevilla at home, and he seemed to look better after being dropped, putting in a good performance. The Xavi-managed side are always threatening, but two goals apiece from Jozy Altidore and Yacouba Keita saw us run out dominant 4-0 winners, and for the second straight match against Sevilla, World Footballer of the Year Tom Halmes was sent off.
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The month ends with us having qualified for the Spanish Cup final, a good achievement, and needing a win over Porto, while we have what could prove to be a vital away goal. We really need our in-form keeper Remi Pillot back from injury, but unfortunately it could prove to be another month before his return. There is a match against La Liga-leaders Atletico Madrid coming up which we desperately want to win, and would be lucky if Pillot was fit in time.
undertheray
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MARCH
First match of March was away verse Espanyol in La Liga. Jozy Altidore got us off to a great start, before Espnayol capitalized on some poor defending to net an equalizer. It wasn't long until dos Santos had us back on top, and we turned on the class – the third came from Cahais lofted clearance which was latched onto by a lightning-fast Keita to finish nicely into the bottom corner. The fourth came from a class touch by Ian Adams, as his one touch ball from dos Santos was collected behind the defence by Altidore and he pounded home his second. Espanyol were first to strike in the second half, when Cristaldo was allowed to run around in the box, and slotted in under Renan. Soon after, Altidore completed his hat trick, as he beat the offside trap to race onto Keita's neatly chipped pass, and score past Moya for the fifth Valencia goal. Moran pulled one back for Espanyol, with a shot that Renan should really have saved on a tight angle. It was the final goal in an 8 goal thriller, which we triumphed in 5-3.
We are really missing Remi Pillot in net, and it is a race to see if he is fit for the second leg Champions League 1st Knockout Round against Porto.
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The match just before our crucial Champions League clash was at home in the La Liga against Sporting. We got the opening goal of the match, as Mata pulled a cross back to the top of the box, where Marcq stepped up to drive it in. Just minutes later, some beautiful play in midfield, culminated with Jonathas laying a through ball for Ronieli to beat the offside trap and race in on goal to score the second. A red card made it all look worse for our opponents, and in the second half Jonathas raced past his marker to fire a goal into the top left corner. A few minutes later, midfield dominance ensured we scored again, with Damien Marcq taking a couple of steps towards goal in acres of space, before firing in from long range. Jonathas added his second of the game with a brilliant low shot from an angle, to put an exclamation point on a dominant 5-0 victory.
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Up next was the second leg of our Champions League 1st knockout round fixture with Porto. There was disappointing news as Remi Pillot hadn't recovered sufficiently from a broken finger to play. We had the home advantage, but that didn't matter to Hulk, as he carved a hole through the defense and almost through the net after he powered in a goal after just three minutes. We were a bit shocked by this, and struggled to fashion any chances. For the start of the second half, we took off a midfielder in Cesar Silva for a striker in Jonathas, but still could not manage to get one past a resilient Porto defensive line. Despite all this, Porto had the best chances, and Renan actually produced a solid performance, as he blocked and parried all varieties of shots, and the ones he didn't get to hit the woodwork. Juan Manuel Mata's introduction replaced a centre back, and we changed shape to an extremely aggressive 3-2-2-3 – but to no avail as Altidore headed over with the last real chance of the match, condemning us to elimination. A 1-0 defeat in this match, 3-1 on aggregate.
As a note, my former team Tottenham were eliminated by Genoa the day before, losing on away goals after a 2-2 draw on aggregate.
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We looked to rebound after the unfortunate CL exit, with an away game in La Liga against Almeria. We got off to a flying start after 8 minutes, with some good possession play in the midfield opening gaps, as Damien Marcq fired in a long range effort. Despite barraging the Almeria goal, the quality of finish was poor, and it took until the second half before Keita, on as a substitute, showed his class with a very tidy finish amongst a crowd of defenders. Keita was also the next to score, a breakthrough
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Our next game was the biggest one of the season so far – at home in La Liga against top-of-the-table Atletico Madrid. Good news was that Remi Pillot was declared fit to play, and this was definitely a boost to the team. Even more of a boost was when Arda Turan opened the scoring, with a well struck shot from edge of the area. We held this lead until halftime, when Atletico were the next to score, with Sergio Aguero pouncing on a rebound after a fantastic Pillot save was failed to be cleared by the defenders. Keita soon pulled the lead back, but we couldn't hold it, as the league leaders scored a crushing two more goals, as our defensive line was horribly exposed with terrible marking, and we suffered a 3-2 defeat.
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A very disappointing month, being eliminated from the Champions League and suffering a blow to our La Liga title chances. We are 6 points behind Atletico with 8 games to play. They have to play Real Madrid and Barcelona away, so hopefully they can do me a favour and make them drop some points at top of the table.
First match of March was away verse Espanyol in La Liga. Jozy Altidore got us off to a great start, before Espnayol capitalized on some poor defending to net an equalizer. It wasn't long until dos Santos had us back on top, and we turned on the class – the third came from Cahais lofted clearance which was latched onto by a lightning-fast Keita to finish nicely into the bottom corner. The fourth came from a class touch by Ian Adams, as his one touch ball from dos Santos was collected behind the defence by Altidore and he pounded home his second. Espanyol were first to strike in the second half, when Cristaldo was allowed to run around in the box, and slotted in under Renan. Soon after, Altidore completed his hat trick, as he beat the offside trap to race onto Keita's neatly chipped pass, and score past Moya for the fifth Valencia goal. Moran pulled one back for Espanyol, with a shot that Renan should really have saved on a tight angle. It was the final goal in an 8 goal thriller, which we triumphed in 5-3.
We are really missing Remi Pillot in net, and it is a race to see if he is fit for the second leg Champions League 1st Knockout Round against Porto.
View attachment 80917
The match just before our crucial Champions League clash was at home in the La Liga against Sporting. We got the opening goal of the match, as Mata pulled a cross back to the top of the box, where Marcq stepped up to drive it in. Just minutes later, some beautiful play in midfield, culminated with Jonathas laying a through ball for Ronieli to beat the offside trap and race in on goal to score the second. A red card made it all look worse for our opponents, and in the second half Jonathas raced past his marker to fire a goal into the top left corner. A few minutes later, midfield dominance ensured we scored again, with Damien Marcq taking a couple of steps towards goal in acres of space, before firing in from long range. Jonathas added his second of the game with a brilliant low shot from an angle, to put an exclamation point on a dominant 5-0 victory.
View attachment 80918
Up next was the second leg of our Champions League 1st knockout round fixture with Porto. There was disappointing news as Remi Pillot hadn't recovered sufficiently from a broken finger to play. We had the home advantage, but that didn't matter to Hulk, as he carved a hole through the defense and almost through the net after he powered in a goal after just three minutes. We were a bit shocked by this, and struggled to fashion any chances. For the start of the second half, we took off a midfielder in Cesar Silva for a striker in Jonathas, but still could not manage to get one past a resilient Porto defensive line. Despite all this, Porto had the best chances, and Renan actually produced a solid performance, as he blocked and parried all varieties of shots, and the ones he didn't get to hit the woodwork. Juan Manuel Mata's introduction replaced a centre back, and we changed shape to an extremely aggressive 3-2-2-3 – but to no avail as Altidore headed over with the last real chance of the match, condemning us to elimination. A 1-0 defeat in this match, 3-1 on aggregate.
As a note, my former team Tottenham were eliminated by Genoa the day before, losing on away goals after a 2-2 draw on aggregate.
View attachment 80919
We looked to rebound after the unfortunate CL exit, with an away game in La Liga against Almeria. We got off to a flying start after 8 minutes, with some good possession play in the midfield opening gaps, as Damien Marcq fired in a long range effort. Despite barraging the Almeria goal, the quality of finish was poor, and it took until the second half before Keita, on as a substitute, showed his class with a very tidy finish amongst a crowd of defenders. Keita was also the next to score, a breakthrough
View attachment 80920
Our next game was the biggest one of the season so far – at home in La Liga against top-of-the-table Atletico Madrid. Good news was that Remi Pillot was declared fit to play, and this was definitely a boost to the team. Even more of a boost was when Arda Turan opened the scoring, with a well struck shot from edge of the area. We held this lead until halftime, when Atletico were the next to score, with Sergio Aguero pouncing on a rebound after a fantastic Pillot save was failed to be cleared by the defenders. Keita soon pulled the lead back, but we couldn't hold it, as the league leaders scored a crushing two more goals, as our defensive line was horribly exposed with terrible marking, and we suffered a 3-2 defeat.
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A very disappointing month, being eliminated from the Champions League and suffering a blow to our La Liga title chances. We are 6 points behind Atletico with 8 games to play. They have to play Real Madrid and Barcelona away, so hopefully they can do me a favour and make them drop some points at top of the table.
undertheray
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APRIL
April got off to a good start, as we chase La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid. Our first match was at home against Las Palmas. Goals from Perotti, Keita and dos Santos all before halftime ensured we had a comfortable lead, and with the visitors being reduced to ten men, we cruised to a 3-0 victory.
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Up next we traveled to play Racing, looking for all three points as we keep up the pressure in the title race. We controlled most of the possession, and had the better chances, with a penalty scored in each half by Giovani dos Santos ensuring we collected the vital points with a 4-1 win over tenacious opponents.
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At home next up we played against relegation-candidates Betis, and only managed one goal – from a powerful finish by Juan Manuel Mata in the 37th minute. We had a lot of chances and shots that hit the net, but were denied by some good goal keeping and well drilled defensive play. A blow came when Keita had to come off injured with a torn groin muscle, and will most likely miss the rest of the season.
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Determined to keep up the pressure, we hosted Valladolid at Neuvo Mestalla, producing a fine display – showing our desire and drive to steal the title from Atletico. Jonathas opened the scoring, before a superb brace from a superb dos Santos confirmed the result, a very solid 3-0 victory.
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A crucial La Liga match at the Santiago Bernabeu was next, as we took on Real Madrid. With Atletico traveling to Barcelona in two days time, this was our best chance to make up the two point difference between us and Atletico. We lined up against the Madrid's imposing front four of Higuain-Benzema-Vela-Ronaldo hoping for a result. Inside five minutes, things looked bad, as Benzema pounced on a bad pass and raced away. We managed to backtrack, and he was forced to layoff to Sergio Ramos, who crossed to the wide open Higuain in front of goal, who took a touch and fired on the volley – only for Remi Pillot to deny him with one of the saves of the season.
However it wasn't to last, as seconds later Vela's long drive was parried by Pillot into the path of Higuain, who did well to finish into the bottom corner. Some beautiful football was being played, with both teams going close, only to be denied by top class keeping from Pillot and Casillas. Our title hopes looked sunk in the 66th minute, when a nice pass to Vela saw him waltz in on Remi Pillot and cooly finish in the bottom corner. We went close after the restart, with dos Santos curling a shot inches wide of goal – but it was in vain, as poor marking from right back Ansaldi left the one man you can't leave alone, Cristiano Ronaldo, who blasted a shot inside the near post for what looked an unassailable three goal lead. It was to get ugly, as they hit us on the counter attack to make it four, and we needed to desperately search for some confidence boost. Nothing was to come, and a crushing 4-0 defeat leaves our slim title hopes even slimmer.
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**Atletico Madrid drew their match with Barcelona 0-0, leaving us three points back with three games to play. We have superior goal differential, all we can do now is win the remaining games and hope for the best!
April got off to a good start, as we chase La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid. Our first match was at home against Las Palmas. Goals from Perotti, Keita and dos Santos all before halftime ensured we had a comfortable lead, and with the visitors being reduced to ten men, we cruised to a 3-0 victory.
View attachment 81165
Up next we traveled to play Racing, looking for all three points as we keep up the pressure in the title race. We controlled most of the possession, and had the better chances, with a penalty scored in each half by Giovani dos Santos ensuring we collected the vital points with a 4-1 win over tenacious opponents.
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At home next up we played against relegation-candidates Betis, and only managed one goal – from a powerful finish by Juan Manuel Mata in the 37th minute. We had a lot of chances and shots that hit the net, but were denied by some good goal keeping and well drilled defensive play. A blow came when Keita had to come off injured with a torn groin muscle, and will most likely miss the rest of the season.
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Determined to keep up the pressure, we hosted Valladolid at Neuvo Mestalla, producing a fine display – showing our desire and drive to steal the title from Atletico. Jonathas opened the scoring, before a superb brace from a superb dos Santos confirmed the result, a very solid 3-0 victory.
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A crucial La Liga match at the Santiago Bernabeu was next, as we took on Real Madrid. With Atletico traveling to Barcelona in two days time, this was our best chance to make up the two point difference between us and Atletico. We lined up against the Madrid's imposing front four of Higuain-Benzema-Vela-Ronaldo hoping for a result. Inside five minutes, things looked bad, as Benzema pounced on a bad pass and raced away. We managed to backtrack, and he was forced to layoff to Sergio Ramos, who crossed to the wide open Higuain in front of goal, who took a touch and fired on the volley – only for Remi Pillot to deny him with one of the saves of the season.
However it wasn't to last, as seconds later Vela's long drive was parried by Pillot into the path of Higuain, who did well to finish into the bottom corner. Some beautiful football was being played, with both teams going close, only to be denied by top class keeping from Pillot and Casillas. Our title hopes looked sunk in the 66th minute, when a nice pass to Vela saw him waltz in on Remi Pillot and cooly finish in the bottom corner. We went close after the restart, with dos Santos curling a shot inches wide of goal – but it was in vain, as poor marking from right back Ansaldi left the one man you can't leave alone, Cristiano Ronaldo, who blasted a shot inside the near post for what looked an unassailable three goal lead. It was to get ugly, as they hit us on the counter attack to make it four, and we needed to desperately search for some confidence boost. Nothing was to come, and a crushing 4-0 defeat leaves our slim title hopes even slimmer.
View attachment 81169
**Atletico Madrid drew their match with Barcelona 0-0, leaving us three points back with three games to play. We have superior goal differential, all we can do now is win the remaining games and hope for the best!
undertheray
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FINAL
29.05.2019
Valencia C.F. vs Real Madrid C.F.
Played at the 73,000 capacity Estadio de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
Line Ups
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Nine times Spanish Cup winners Valencia C.F. are gearing up to take on Real Madrid C.F. in today's final.
Should they lift the trophy, Los Ches will no doubt look back proudly on a great eight game run to the final, which saw them score twenty one goals and concede just seven.
Meanwhile, nineteen-times winners Real Madrid also head into the final with the knowledge that history has seen them lose more times than they have won in the final.
Valencia star Giovani dos Santos has been ruled out through injury, while top goalscorer Yacouba Keita has only been declared fit enough to start on the bench. It appears as if Rafael Benitez has Real Madrid lined up in his favoured 4-2-3-1, and Valencia has looked to neutralize their attacking threat in a 4-1-4-1 formation.
Should they lift the trophy, Los Ches will no doubt look back proudly on a great eight game run to the final, which saw them score twenty one goals and concede just seven.
Meanwhile, nineteen-times winners Real Madrid also head into the final with the knowledge that history has seen them lose more times than they have won in the final.
Valencia star Giovani dos Santos has been ruled out through injury, while top goalscorer Yacouba Keita has only been declared fit enough to start on the bench. It appears as if Rafael Benitez has Real Madrid lined up in his favoured 4-2-3-1, and Valencia has looked to neutralize their attacking threat in a 4-1-4-1 formation.
The match kicks off today, and the battered Valencia - missing their top two attacking players in the starting line ups through injury - are shaping out to try and grind out a result here.
First chance of the match came in the 14th minute, when Joe Mattock crossed towards Benzema, who won the aerial challenge to get his head to the ball, only for Remi Pillot to tip over for a corner.
Valencia are consistently getting 10 men behind the ball, defending in numbers and frustrating Real. The next chance came in the 28th minute, when a trademark Cristiano Ronaldo free-kick flew just wide from a dangerous position.
Georgian midfielder Jano Ananidze had a good chance on 31 minutes, but Remi Pillot showed good handling to save and hold the shot.
40th minute - Ronaldo would have had a great goal, but he fired just inches wide of the post after a great run past a defender following a ball from Benzema.
Just before halftime Valencia had their first chance of the half, with Matias Cahais heading narrowly over from a threatening corner.
Halftime score: 0-0
Right after the kick off Madrid kicked into gear, blazing a shot past the post, but signaling their desire to break down the Los Ches fortifications in front of goal.
Pillot was forced into action again as Benzema sent in a stinging drive from distance, but Valencia's goalkeeper got down well to hold on to the shot.
Real Madrid were looking fired up, applying more and more pressure, and it finally showed in the defence on 56 minutes when some nice midfield play culminated in an Esteban Granero pass finding Cristiano Ronaldo out right. The Portuguese superstar cut inside and beat the Valencia left-back Yurchuk, to have a clear sight at goal - which proved to be all he needed as he fired a perfect shot inside Remi Pillot's near post from a tight angle, and gave Madrid the much desired lead.
Valencia immediately changed shape and tactics to look more threatening, going to a more counter attacking mentality against the might of the Real Madrid attacking force.
However, in the 63rd minute Cristiano Ronaldo was threatening again, and Remi Pillot needed to be at his best to brilliantly turn Ronaldo's well struck shot around the post.
The match was gritty from their, with most of the battles happening in midfield, and half-chances at either end. In the 76th minute, Jozy Altidore jogged off to be replaced by Yacouba Keita up front, as Valencia looked to push ahead for an equalizer.
And the effect was noticeable, as the intelligent and skillful running of Keita looked to cause problems with the Real defenders. However, a free-kick from dangerous position provided the first real chance of the match for Los Ches, as Keita's well hit ball curled agonizingly into the side netting for a goal kick.
The pressure was mounting, as Valencia pushed forward, and Real Madrid looked to hang back and try to deal the killing blow on the counter. Valencia won a corner in stoppage time, and piled people forward looking to find the equalizer. Arda Turan's drove the corner low towards the feet of Keita, who hit it first time on goal and looked destined for the back of the net - only for Esteban Granero to clear off the line at the last moment!
This proved to be the last decisive chance of the match, as Real Madrid triumphed after a very hard fought battle with a 1-0 victory thanks to the excellent goal from Cristiano Ronaldo.
FINAL SCORE
Valencia C.F. 0-1 Real Madrid
Cristiano Ronaldo ('56)
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Man of the Match
Cristiano Ronaldo
Valencia C.F. 0-1 Real Madrid
Cristiano Ronaldo ('56)
View attachment 81203
Man of the Match
Cristiano Ronaldo
computerholic14
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Unlucky in the cup but good luck in the league , i dont see how real madrid arent pushing for the title?
undertheray
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Thanks, Real Madrid had some injury problems during the season and didn't really live up to expectations. Rafael Benitez is now the manager.
MAY & season summary
The title race was heating up, and when Atletico Madrid drew 0-0 with Zaragoza, we had a glorious chance to go top of the league. However, it would not be easy, as we had to play at the Nou Camp against the might of Barcelona, with Messi fit this time. Altidore started in place of the injured Keita, and we attacked our hosts looking for the win. It didn't start as planned, with Theo Walcott escaping down the right, and crossing low for Leandro to guide in from close range. We were determined to recover, and pushed forward, with Ian Adam curling a beautiful shot on goal – only to rebound agonizingly off the post. Just after halftime it was a similar story, with Ian Adam picking up the ball outside the box, taking a touch and curling an absolute pearler on goal. Incredibly, it rebounded off the same post, and we were still hunting that elusive equalizer. We were having the better chances and controlling possession, but a crushing blow came in the 53rd minute, when Giovani dos Santos had to come off with broken ribs, and will miss the rest of the season. Despite this set back, we still poured forward in search of the equaliser, but just didn't have the quality of finish required. We were dealt a killing blow in the 78th minute, as a swift Barca counter attack saw Maxim Choupo-Moting score and there was no way back – suffering a 2-0 defeat – and missing our last chance at the title.
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La Liga was out of our hands, needing Atletico to slip up twice, but we still came out looking to dominate Getafe in front of our home fans. With our two best attacking players sidelined through injury, we left it late, before we finally clicked and a stream of goals from Altidore, Perotti and Arda Turan saw us run out comfortable 3-0 winners – unfortunately Atletico easily won their match, and wrapped up the La Liga title with a game to play.
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The last La Liga game of the season was away against Zaragoza, and we were not just playing for pride, this was a chance to test some tactics before the Copa del Rey final. We showed promising signs in our defensive shape – able to retain the ball and also create some chances on the break, which unfortunately we were unable to convert. A penalty was awarded to Zaragoza deep into stoppage time, and they managed to score, leaving us with the bitter taste of a 1-0 defeat.
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Then came the Copa del Rey final against some very tough opposition, Real Madrid. Despite lacking the services of Giovani dos Santos, Keita had returned to training and was cleared to play, but could only start on the bench. With Rafael Benitez managing, I was expecting a 4-4-2, or a typical Benitez 4-2-3-1, so I went with a very defensive, possession-orientated 4-1-4-1 to counter the threatening Madrid front four.
As it turned out, Real Madrid played right into out hands coming out in a 4-2-3-1, and were frustrated time and time again in the first half as the searched for a opener, as our sturdy defensive plan got everyone behind the ball and allowed no time or space for attacking moves to develop or complete. It would only take one moment of magic, and that happened, as Cristiano Ronaldo beat his marker Yurchuk in the left back position, and fired in an absolute rocket from a tight angle. Immediately, I reacted, changing shape to a more probing 4-5-1 formation and trying to hit them on the counter. As we introduced Keita in the later stages looking for goals, we poured forward, coming agonizingly close on two chances – side-netting and a clearance off the line denying us. A 1-0 defeat to superb opposition who deserved the win.
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A slightly disappointing end to the season, but on reflection we played a superb tactical game against Real Madrid, and only a moment of magic from a legendary world-class player was able to beat us. We were unlucky with injuries in this campaign, losing in-form keeper Remi Pillot to a broken finger in February, and the unstability at the back caused our knockout to Porto in the Champions League, and a string of disappointing results that would influence the title race.
Then losing Keita and Giovani dos Santos at crucial points of the season, when we needed goals against top teams, and saw us lose out in the title race and in the Spanish Cup final.
La Liga season stats
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Season Summary
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Season Summary
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Overall, I felt we could have challenged for three trophies, but ended with none, which I consider a disappointment. However, injuries played a key factor, and I will need to work on building the depth in the squad to be able to survive future set-backs like this.
World Results:
___________________________________________
La Liga: Atletico Madrid
Spanish Cup: Real Madrid
Spanish Super Cup: Xerez
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Club World Championship: Leverkusen
Euro Cup: Barcelona
Champions League: Inter Milan
___________________________________________
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MemphisJaxx
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Solid start to you new life in Spain. Now you've played a whole season out, you must know your clubs strengths and weaknesses. Why not do a press conference giving the media (and us) a run down of the areas that you have been impressed with and where you think the side need improving?
KIU
KIU
undertheray
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Unlucky with the Spanish Cup :S The old-man did it
Haha yes he did, my Jose Mourinho-inspired defensive plan almost worked, but the magic of Cristiano Ronaldo is still strong - even at age 34!
Sounds like a great idea, Jorginho is scheduling a press conference now!
---------- Post added at 05:12 AM ---------- Previous post was at 03:52 AM ----------
Press Conference
Neuvo Mestalla
20 July 2019
You appear to have adjusted well to your new life in Spain, finishing runners-up in La Liga and Copa del Rey. What are your personal feelings on this seasons performance?
- I am proud of the players for fighting hard all season, against whatever odds, to win as many games as they could. To be honest, I am disappointed with our La Liga result – not a reflection on the players – but on the luck, we lost some key players to injuries and this disrupted the cohesion of the team over some critical moments in the season. We played some great football at times, getting good results. I am pleased with the victories at home over Real Madrid and Barcelona, and it is good for the fans to see these kinds of results and have faith in their team.
What do you think of the quality in the squad you have now? Are you happy with the squad depth?
- I believe we have a very solid squad, after a full season to get to know everyone and learn the strengths and weaknesses I can see where we have quality and where we need to improve. I am impressed with our attacking players, and there is definitely quality in midfield with Ian Adams emerging as a world class central player. Our defenders need to improve, there were too many leaks that needed plugging at the back, and I will be looking to make some personnel changes. We have quality players, but I will certainly be looking towards the transfer market for some new acquisitions to bolster depth.
What did you think of the Fan's Player of the Year, Yacouba Keita, peformance over the season?
- Yacouba had an outstanding season, I was very impressed with his performances. He has terrific technique, fantastic dribbling skills and great composure in front of goal to go with his outstanding physical abilities. The combination of speed and skill is a nightmare for opposition defenders, and then he has the quality to finish most of his mazy runs with excellent power and placement. It was a huge loss to us when he went down with a torn groin muscle, and we missed his scoring touch in the crucial run of games to end the season.
Shortly after you arrived last season, you spent fifty million euro to purchase Giovani dos Santos from your former club, Tottenham Hotspur. What do you make of his performances this season?
- He was brought in as we share a great relationship built up over my time at Spurs, and I feel the purchase was justified with his performances on the field. He is a key player, and has a knack for coming up with the big performances in the big games. His flair and creativity, combined with the ability to make good decisions on the pitch, lead to some truly beautiful football when he is on his game, and coupled with excellent pace and dribbling skills, repeatedly causes havoc in the opposition defences. He is extremely determined to succeed, and is an influential player in the squad, justified by his selection and subsequent sublime performances as vice-captain of Valencia.
The position of goalkeeper seemed to cause headaches at the start of the season, what is your opinion of these struggles?
- Renan is a good goalkeeper, but after making some key errors early in the season, we decided to give Remi (Pillot) a chance, and he performed extremely well. My policy is to select based on form, and we stuck with Pillot throughout the season, rewarded with some truly exceptional performances , making some key saves in key games. It was a massive blow to lose his form and stability at a crucial part of the season, and Renan will be disappointed with the errors he made, but we all feel confident that Renan will be working hard with our coaches to bounce back this season with some improved performances.
What can you say about your transfer targets for next season?
- We are targeting mostly young prospects over the summer, and I can confirm we have had a €3.1m bid for goalkeeper Jonathan McAuley accepted, and are confident of his signature in the coming week. I know Jonathan personally, from my time at Spurs, and know that he has bags of potential with the quality to develop into a world class keeper. We will be looking to make a few more signings to bolster our depth, and will definitely be looking at new additions to our defensive line.
And what are your expectations for next season?
- I have strong confidence in these players, and I believe we can improve in every competition. My goals are to win the La Liga title, emerge victorious in the Copa del Rey and anything less than the Semi Finals of the Champions League would be considered a disappointment.
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MemphisJaxx
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Fantastic! Just what I wanted, thanks for that. This is a great story. How do you feel about bringing in some home grown talent. Providing there are some quality Spainish players out there, why not bring in a couple of youngsters and become a big influence in supplying Spain with their world beaters?
Can't wait to read on. Good luck for the up coming pre-season and beyond.
Can't wait to read on. Good luck for the up coming pre-season and beyond.
undertheray
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I have noticed my team is lacking Spanish players, will be looking to bring a few more in.
AUGUST & off-season summary
A summary of the pre-season results:
At Real Sociedad "B" 1-0 WIN
At Leganes 2-1 WIN
At Balenenses 1-0 WIN
Vs Santos 1-1 DRAW
Vs Internacional 1-1 DRAW
Vs Toluca 1-1 DRAW
Vs Las Navas 7-0 WIN
Personally, I would consider this one of my best off-seasons, not based on results, but based on what I feel we have achieved. We have adequate squad depth, we will be able to cover all but the worst injury crisis, and I feel extremely confident in the team for the upcoming season.
We are now utilizing a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Yacouba Keita alone up front, and Giovani dos Santos playing centrally in the attacking midfield. This formation is easily convertible, and can change to a more defensive or offensive out-look with the switch of a few players. Playing a controlling style of football, we will look to move the ball quickly in the midfield and exploit the skills of dos Santos and Keita up front.
In the transfer market, we made some big changes. Our injury prone Serbian centre-back was out for €8.5m to Sevilla, while Juan Manuel Mata, at age 31, was shipped to Manchester City for €17.25m after remaining unhappy with the club. With all the money in, I only sent €6.75m out, picking up some young prospects and posting a nice profit in the market. The biggest signing was Jonathan McAuley for €3.1m from Napoli. I initially signed McAuley at Tottenham, so I knew his potential and can see him continue to develop into a fine player.
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So after all the off-season changes, here is our first team squad for 2019/20 season:
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I am convinced this squad, although considered underdogs, will get results, with my major aim this season being the coveted Champions League trophy. Speaking of the Champions League, I have been handed lucky draw, facing the tough Porto, but two easier matches which should see me advance to the knockout round for the second straight year.
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The first La Liga match of the season was up next, and we were away against Getafe. After a disappointing first half, when we hadn't really taken our chances as well as I would like, we came out strong in the second half, as dos Santos collected the ball, beat his man, and blasted home into the top corner for a 1-0 lead. We held this all the way to the end, with Mikel Gonzalez sent off for Getafe in the 73rd minute after bringing Arda Turan down with a professional foul when the Turkish midfielder was one-on-one.
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A positive pre-season, smart dealings in the transfer market, and a win to start the La Liga, I couldn't have asked for a better start and will hope that this good mood continues throughout the season!
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A positive pre-season, smart dealings in the transfer market, and a win to start the La Liga, I couldn't have asked for a better start and will hope that this good mood continues throughout the season!
undertheray
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SEPTEMBER
We followed up our winning start to the season with another positive result, as we took on Numancia at Neuvo Mestall for our first home game of the season. We dominated possession, controlling 78% of the first half, and this showed in the final scoreline. Yacouba Keita scoring in the first half, and dos Santos securing the lead in the second half, as we controlled a 2-0 victory.
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Our first Champions League Group H match of the season was at home against Porto, who knocked us out in the competition last season. This time, however, it was a different story. We came out with a lot of first team members rested, such as Keita and dos Santos, but still managed to equal the Porto first team and make it a very close match. It took an absolute beauty of a screamer from young midfielder Andre Muller, curling into the top corner from all of 35 yards, to give us the 1-0 win and continue our great start to the season.
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Back in La Liga, and we were at home to host Recreativo. Giovani dos Santos scored his third goal in as many games this season in the 4th minute, with Ian Adam curling one in from range and Keita completing the scoring in the first half. There was no change in the second half, as we were content to work a few chances, but ultimately sit on the lead and enjoy a dominant 3-0 victory.
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The biggest Liga test of the season so far was up next, as we traveled to the Santiago Bernabeu to play Real Madrid, for the first time since our defeat in the Spanish Cup final. David Silva opened the scoring with a fine strike after pouncing on a loose ball, before a Benzema free-kick curled in between the wall and the post to make it all even. Giovani dos Santos was then taken off injured, a groin strain that will keep him out 2-3 weeks. From this point, we looked to be in a spot of trouble, but the team rallied and retained possession in the midfield extremely well, denying the famed Madrid attack time on the ball. However, our hopes of a point were dashed in stoppage time, when wonderkid Gorka Elzmendi hit an almost identical free-kick to the first goal to score the game winner, and condemn us to an unfortunate 2-1 defeat. I was very disappointed as we deserved the draw, losing in stoppage time to a free-kick is heart breaking. We will take heart from the fact that they just couldn't penetrate us in open play.
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Another test followed, as we hosted Sevilla in La Liga at Neuvo Mestalla. We remained rock solid at the back, denying Sevilla's attacking trifecta any decent chance on target, and pressuring reigning player of the year, Tom Halmes, so he could not pull the strings from midfield. Yacouba Keita had the game winning goal in the net in the 69th minute, and we were delighted with a 1-0 victory.
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A fine month, with an unfortunate defeat to Real Madrid, and injuries to dos Santos, Perotti and David Silva leaving me thin in the attacking midfield, but I have confidence in squad depth, and we will be able to continue these results into the next month.
We followed up our winning start to the season with another positive result, as we took on Numancia at Neuvo Mestall for our first home game of the season. We dominated possession, controlling 78% of the first half, and this showed in the final scoreline. Yacouba Keita scoring in the first half, and dos Santos securing the lead in the second half, as we controlled a 2-0 victory.
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Our first Champions League Group H match of the season was at home against Porto, who knocked us out in the competition last season. This time, however, it was a different story. We came out with a lot of first team members rested, such as Keita and dos Santos, but still managed to equal the Porto first team and make it a very close match. It took an absolute beauty of a screamer from young midfielder Andre Muller, curling into the top corner from all of 35 yards, to give us the 1-0 win and continue our great start to the season.
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Back in La Liga, and we were at home to host Recreativo. Giovani dos Santos scored his third goal in as many games this season in the 4th minute, with Ian Adam curling one in from range and Keita completing the scoring in the first half. There was no change in the second half, as we were content to work a few chances, but ultimately sit on the lead and enjoy a dominant 3-0 victory.
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The biggest Liga test of the season so far was up next, as we traveled to the Santiago Bernabeu to play Real Madrid, for the first time since our defeat in the Spanish Cup final. David Silva opened the scoring with a fine strike after pouncing on a loose ball, before a Benzema free-kick curled in between the wall and the post to make it all even. Giovani dos Santos was then taken off injured, a groin strain that will keep him out 2-3 weeks. From this point, we looked to be in a spot of trouble, but the team rallied and retained possession in the midfield extremely well, denying the famed Madrid attack time on the ball. However, our hopes of a point were dashed in stoppage time, when wonderkid Gorka Elzmendi hit an almost identical free-kick to the first goal to score the game winner, and condemn us to an unfortunate 2-1 defeat. I was very disappointed as we deserved the draw, losing in stoppage time to a free-kick is heart breaking. We will take heart from the fact that they just couldn't penetrate us in open play.
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Another test followed, as we hosted Sevilla in La Liga at Neuvo Mestalla. We remained rock solid at the back, denying Sevilla's attacking trifecta any decent chance on target, and pressuring reigning player of the year, Tom Halmes, so he could not pull the strings from midfield. Yacouba Keita had the game winning goal in the net in the 69th minute, and we were delighted with a 1-0 victory.
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A fine month, with an unfortunate defeat to Real Madrid, and injuries to dos Santos, Perotti and David Silva leaving me thin in the attacking midfield, but I have confidence in squad depth, and we will be able to continue these results into the next month.
undertheray
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Yeah haha he was here when I got here, they bought him from Fulham in the 2013/14 season for €5.25m. His physical skills are impressive, and he is a good impact player coming of the bench.