About Time!
By: Al | October 18th, 2008
Atlético Madrid vs. Real Madrid
Now we’re back in business. Stadium bans, UEFA rulings, appeals, accusations of racism and international matches aside, it’s time to concentrate on what’s really important: el derbi madrileño.
International break either gave us time to prepare mentally, or it made us forget that we are having such a crummy season so far. It doesn’t help that we haven’t defeated Real Madrid at home since the 1999/2000 season either. Ouch.
Who has the cojones to win? Atleti or Real? Will we produce a Sergio Aguero style beatdown or will we be victim of a Dutch dance party all over our defense?
Who knows?
Real Madrid Offside has a hell of a preview up, so check that out as it’s clearly more detailed than this here post. If you need a quick read, you’ve come to the right place.
Ladies and germs, welcome to the 143rd edition of el derbi madrileño.
.
I’ll start things off with some quotes:
Johnny Heitinga on facing his Oranje teammates:
It’s absolutely no problem for me. We’re friends before the match and after the match, but I’ll take them out if necessary during the match. The only important thing for me is winning the match.
Real Madrid’s Gonzalo Higuain on his debut goal against Atletico and the derby:
Hopefully I will be able to repeat the feat on Saturday. I have my goal videotaped, and of course I have photos too. It motivates me every time I see it, and it fills me with pride.
Ruud Van Nistelrooy on Sergio Aguero:
What surprises me the most is his age. He’s at such a high level and is so young, just like Messi. Both players will be Ballon D’or winners as they’ll be growing more. At ages 24 and 25 they’ll be even better.
Ruben De la Red on how UEFA can f@#k off:
In the Calderón there will be the same atmosphere as there is for any derby. It is not going to be worse because of the problem with UEFA.
Ghosts of the Past
Go away, go away, ghosts of the past. If we’re still shellshocked after Barcelona whack-a-mole’d us two weeks ago, we’re in no shape to play. Kudos to the team if they use that godawful performance as inspiration to get back at the merengues.
It’s a no-brainer that the defense must shape up after the last match. I’ve come to the conclusion that Ujfalusi and Heitinga were in such awe of the Camp Nou that they thought they were spectators in the stands. I’m not even going to bold their names because they were such a disgrace. This must and will change. Their performances before Barcelona were solid, and I’m confident that they can return to form. Keep the pacing and positioning on top form, and you’ve got a recipe for solidity.
Maniche, Simão and Diego Forlán are back in the squad, and a few of them may start the match. I’m especially glad for Maniche’s return, as his speed can cause trouble for any defense. Forlán will especially be eager to impress on his return and will take off where Sinama-Pongolle left off. Aguero and Perea had only one training session since their return from South America, but Aguero stated clearly that he’ll play in the derby. Jetlag shmetlag, we’ll see vintage Aguero.
Maxi and Pablo Ibanez are out for the match, meaning Luis Garcia or Miguel will probably step up and take Maxi’s role in the right of the midfield. Heitinga’s inclusion in the match is also a doubt as he’s fresh off of recovery as well.
Words from the manager: Javier Aguirre spoke on the status of the starting lineup:
If there’s not Maxi, there’s Miguel. If there’s no Simao, there’s Luis Garcia. If there’s no Aguero, there’s Sinama. If there’s no Perea, there’s Seitaridis, and if there’s no Seitaridis, there’s Antonio Lopez…
Real Madrid
Real Madrid are currently in 5th place with 4 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss. They were the deadliest team last year in La Liga by a long shot and will probably be again this year..
They destroyed us both times last season: 2-1 at the Bernabeu and 0-2 at our stadium. We haven’t even defeated them since 1999, and the ants in our pants are raging.
Are we out for revenge? Yes and no. Yes because we are sick of being unable to defeat them, and no because the idea of revenge will lead us to losing our heads and conceding early, like we did against Barcelona two weeks ago.
Guti, Arjen Robben, and Diarra will not play in the match as they haven’t fully recovered yet. (A big “phew” to Robben’s exclusion).
Who to watch out for:
The defense: I have a man crush on Sergio Ramos. No, not because of his (horselike) looks, but because this man is so dangerous on the field. He’s the Spanish right-back non-freekick version of Roberto Carlos. He’ll pass to the midfield and in the next second he’s an attacking midfielder and sometimes a striker. His positioning is fantastic and his shots are powerful. Just don’t be so good against us, Sergio. Cannavaro and Pepe will probably be paired in the center of the defense with Heinze as the left-back.
The Midfield: We benefit tons from Robben’s absence, as his fast runs and great crosses will not be missed whatsoever. Sneijder and Van der Vaart are a major part of Real’s free-kick prowess, and both players’ precise shots must be watched for (Sneijder’s goal in Matchday 1 of the 06-07 season ended us). I don’t know much about De La Red aside from the fact that he can score a hell of a goal against Valencia, so forgive my ignorance. Real Madrid’s probable midfield: De la Red, Fernando Gago, Van der Vaart.
The strikers: If the midfield is a big fat cake of danger and speed, then the strikers are the icing. Raul and Van Nistelrooy are players that will take advantage of any defensive blunder and can score from anywhere at any time. Remember the last derby? Raul scored in the first minute and Van the (wo)Man scored a cracker right before the end of the first half, sealing the match then and there. Raul, the once-Atleti youth player, is always on fire and was the star of the match against Espanyol two weeks ago. Van Nistelrooy is a positional genius and he has proved it time and time again both at his club and with the Oranje. Gonzalo Higuain is also a striker that has great positioning and power, and is only 20 years old.
Iker Casillas: You really can’t “watch out” for a goalkeeper but it’s no secret that Casillas is fantastic. In the last derby match, he read every header and shot on goal and it was impossible to get anything past him. Expect him to play a great match again.
Prediction:
I’m gonna predict two possible scores
Al’s hopeful score: 2-1
Probable score: 1-2
I really want us to win. I really do, but to say we’re going to win is a little bit of a stretch at this point, and a Real Madrid victory will not be shocking. It’s not easy to defeat the best team of La Liga after losing 6-1 and losing at home to Sevilla right before that. Then again, we did just come back from international break so our batteries are a bit re-charged. Real Madrid can’t be underestimated but they can be defeated. Predicting a result can be as accurate as picking one randomly from the magic bag o’ results.
————
Beloved Atlético Madrid, break the cycle and win this for the rojiblancos and anti-Madridistas everywhere.
I’m in belief that this is THE match of the season and it will either lead us to a great season, or the slums.
Rosters:
Atlético Madrid: Coupet, Leo Franco – Seitaridis, Perea, Ujfalusi, Heitinga, Antonio López, Pernia, Álvaro Domínguez – Raúl García, Luis García, Paulo Assunção, Éver Banega, Maniche, Miguel de las Cuevas, Simão, Camacho – Kun, Sinama-Pongolle, Forlan
Real Madrid: Casillas, Dudek – Sergio Ramos, Salgado, Cannavaro, Pepe, Heinze, Marcelo, Javi García – De la Red, Gago, Van der Vaart, Sneijder, Drenthe – Higuaín, Saviola, Raúl, Van Nistelrooy
Probable Starting XI: Coupet – Perea, Ujfalusi, Heitinga, A. Lopez – L. Garcia, R. Garcia, Maniche, Simao – Forlan, Kun
I’ll end things off with Atlético’s team photo, freshly taken today. And sorry for the delayed posting, as I’ve been traveling the globe for the last week and blog posts have been short and sweet.
Aupa Atleti!
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