Champions League Round of Two

I predict Gilesy will show a chunk of that at half time to emphasise their workrate and honesty of effort.

“Look at David Villa here, Bill.”

Atletico Madrid look more up for the fight than the fascists here. They’re playing better as a unit and and are showing more moral courage and honesty of effort. Some fascist players are hiding.

Khedira well beaten to the header,

Atletico are well in control here.

Match has come to life a bit even before the goal.

Real have been dreadful though. They went to a 4-4-2 after about 10 minutes and they’ve done nothing since. It has allowed Di Maria get on the ball in a bit more space because he’s out wide but he hasn’t been able to do anything with it. Modric and Khedira are being completely outplayed by Tiago and Gabi. The Atletico pair haven’t had to do much but they’re playing it simple and are pressing aggressively which the Real lads aren’t coping with.

Either the lofty camera angle means the far side of the pitch is too far away to notice or the ball hasn’t really gone near Koke and Bale at all. Either way, Real have moved one of their attackers to that flank and he’s done nothing. Not that the two who stayed up front have contributed anything either.

Think Real need to switch back to a 4-3-3. Atletico have central midfielders playing wide, which means they’re probably capable of coping with either formation, but the three man forward line would at least mean that they can put more pressure on Atletico trying to play their way out and they should be able to work the ball centrally a bit better.

On that half though Atletico are completely deserving of their lead.

Giles’s first comment on the goal is that it was really poor marking.

He was but if Casillias doesn’t come he collects the ball easily. Gobin was facing his own goal and it was a relatively weak header, once Casillas decided to come he had to get the ball

Indeed. Khedira sort of did his job there. All he wanted to do was ensure Godin got a tame header on it for Casillas to just pick up at his leisure.

If this stays like this for long I’d expect:

  1. Illara for Khedira
  2. Isco for someone, maybe Modric.

Keane should have show Chiles what a head butt is

signing in briefly , drinking cans of oranjeboom and eating olives stuffed with hareef whilst smoking nargilla.
gutted for Casillas, like me he married a beautiful but crazy woman but fuck me as a center half you’d be seething with that kind of keeping.
Royal are really missing Alonso i think, Atleti are roughing up the center of the park, there is some decent old school Uruguayian 1986 World Cup tackles going in… Khedira is way off the pace, he is totally lost
i really hope Di Maria can get it together here in the 2nd, Royal need someome to win the ball tho,
Id imagine the racism from both sets of fans is something to behold

good summary @Rocko
Modric is key here, this is his time…

@mickee321 has provoked a thought in me… when was the last Champions League final before tonight with no black players starting for either team?

To answer my own question - I’m guessing it was 1997.

Marcelo on should be a bit more attacking.

Isco for Khedira means Modric will play deeper presumably.

You’d see better tackling from Ronan O’Gara than from the fascists tonight.

Great chance for Ronaldo. Bit out of his reach in fairness.

Bale still playing as an orthodox right winger. I thought Marcelo coming on would allow Real to allow the two full backs to push forward and they could go back to 4-3-3.

Atletico’s workrate is something to behold. Real getting completely out-hustled at the moment.

Costa has been no loss at all to Atletico.