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West London Thriller!
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Champions League football made it’s dazzling debut at Loftus Road last night in front of a full house of 19,200 as QPR were beaten, but far from disgraced, going down 5-2 to Real Madrid. There were ominous signs early as only a brilliant double save from Rulli inside 20 secs, the first from Isco after a mazy ran that left no less than 5 QPR defenders bewildered and then the follow up volley from Christiano Ronaldo who seemed destined to score, kept the scores level.
View attachment 280425Ronaldo was in devastating form for Real
It was only a momentary reprieve however as Gareth Bale then showed his class in the 5
th minute pouncing on a rebound, after Rulli could only parry Modric’s thunderbolt, and turning home. Madrid were then coasting just after the quarter hour when Ronaldo found a yard of space on the edge of the area and his clinical turn and shot was too much for Rulli to handle. The 2
nd goal was the catalyst for R’s manager Ferdinand to race to the edge of his technical area and in no uncertain terms voice his displeasure at his team’s performance to date.
That seemed to change the complexion of the game as QPR pushed higher in search of goals and Zaza tested Keylor Navas twice in goal for Real prior to half time. Worse was to come for QPR as Ronaldo sprung the offside trap in the 41
st minute and made no mistake when one on one with Rulli. QPR were desperately unlucky not to pull a goal back in the 43
rd minute when a Bernardo Silva free kick cannoned off the underside of the crossbar but bounced just the wrong side of the goal line and then cleared behind by Varane. From the resultant corner though Yanga-Mbiwa rose highest to give QPR hope but in first half injury time the game appeared to be over when Jenkinson brought down Ronaldo in the box earning himself a yellow and allowing Ronaldo to complete his hat trick from the spot.
QPR came out from the dressing sheds a changed side and quickly dragged a goal back and it was the towering presence of Yanga-Mbiwa, whose physical nature gave Real fits from every corner, as he powered in a bullet header from a Bernando Silva corner. QPR had gained the momentum and when Caulker stretched to meet a Silva free kick and loop his header over Navas the comeback appeared to be well and truly on. To his and QPR’s dismay however he was adjudged to have gone early although television replays suggested he may have been just onside.
To rub salt into QPR’s wounds Ronaldo then scored his fourth after being played in by Bale who had gotten to the rebound from an Isco free kick the quickest although replays showed him to be over a metre offside. The game fizzled out somewhat from there as Real Madrid got men behind the ball to protect their lead however there was time for the lineman’s flag to again deny QPR when substitute Leigh Griffiths was adjudged, correctly this time, to be offside before heading in from a Grealish cross. The may have left the field defeated but QPR walked off to thunderous applause, the fans appreciative of the daring and boldness shown by the home side even against the greatest club in football history.
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When approached for comment after the match Ferdinand bemoaned his side’s slow start which his took responsibility for saying “at the beginning the plan was to absorb some pressure and try and catch them on the break. That obviously didn’t work being two down within twenty minutes so we abandoned that and decided to play our way. From then we were more than their match but the damage had already been done as the first two goals allowed them to sit and choose their spots. At the end of the day we had more possession, more shots, more shots on target and more corners. It was just their extra quality that got them across the line”.
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