All eyes on Real Madrid & Coach Ancelotti after their terrible performance & loss to At Madrid in Liga last Saturday. The days previous to this match the squad had some intensive "self analysis" & promised to get back onto winning ways. Tonight Coach Ancelotti brought in "fresh blood" with Casillas, Carvajal, Varane & Marcelo back into the team which gave more penetration down the flanks as it was later proved all match.
The Danes started strongly & gave Real Madrid problems while they settled. Then a Marcelo pass found Cristiano Ronaldo in the 21st min to open the scoring. FC Copenhagen stood firm & could have equalized in the 40th min after Casillas failed to clear an aerial pass that hit the bar to have Modric clear off the line. Close!
The second half was a one way road for Real Madrid & was clearly the best 45 mins from Di Maria. He made an extraordinary pass for Cristiano Ronaldo to head his second in 65th min & he personally ( Di Maria ) scored the next two remaining goals, one a long range curler in the 70th min & another after a Danish defender fumble in the 90th min. In the last moments Real keeper Casillas had to make 3 great saves in a row to stop the Danes scoring.
Overall, a better performance from Real Madrid but - with all respects - FC Copenhagen is not a team to really be used as a measure to see improvements. The problem upfront still is patent with Karim Benzema who made some assistances - the 2ยบ goal pass to Di Maria - but little else.
Final result 4 - 0 to Real Madrid, three points & top spot of Group B.
Real Sociedad cruelly went down 2 - 1 to German Club Bayern Leverkusen in their Group A match. Bayern Leverkusen played well & in line with most German Clubs which are physically strong, tactically ordered & tough to crack. However, Real Sociedad had their chances & perhaps here was the reason for their loss, the incapacity to convert those "vital moments" into goals.
However, an unlucky moment comes to mind in the 35th min when a Griezmann goal was disallowed for offside. The replays seem to indicate that it was legal & this could have changed things for Real Sociedad.
The Germans opened the scoring in the 45th min with Rolfes & that was a psychological blow. But Real Sociedad equalized with a penalty in the 51st that Carlos Vela initially missed but scored the rebound. Then Carlos Vela missed a "sitter" in a one - on - one action that could have changed the course of the match. But Football punishes those who miss & Bayern Laverkusen took the victory in the 92nd min with a goal free-kick from Hegeler that was unstoppable.
Final score 2 -1 to Bayern Laverkusen that was earned, & that will leave Real Sociedad unhappy & cursing their missed chances.
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