PlayBeautiful

Champions League Quarter-Final 2012/13 (Real Madrid Edition)

Fighting until the end. Something Real Madrid have been doing throughout this competition. This week, Real Madrid showcased their desire on the pitch as they led a 3-0 home victory against Galatasaray.

Before this match began, I was curious to know what tactical changes Mourinho would make to secure a win in the first-leg. After escaping a near-death encounter against Manchester United, I was hesitant to believe Mourinho would make any dramatic changes to the starting XI. Getting this far into the Champions League leaves no room for complacency or silly errors.

Real Madrid definitely did not disappoint their fans at the Bernabéu. As nine minutes rolled in, Cristiano Ronaldo made an incredible goal (assisted by Mesut Özil) that had set the tone for the rest of the match. This display of Ronaldo’s impeccable skill showed Galatasaray that Madrid meant business.

During the 29^th minute, Karim Benzema had scored Madrid’s second goal. One might argue that it was just as significant as Ronaldo’s 9^th minute goal because it enforced Madrid’s rhythmic tempo. Having a recent goal-drought at Real Madrid, this had certainly boosted Benzema’s morale and easily inspired others to keep pushing.

Real Madrid’s third goal was just as beautiful and magnificent as the first two! In the 73^rd minute, Higuaín paired an amazing header with Xabi Alonso’s free-kick. This goal was the icing on the cake! Check it out here:

Real Madrid maintained their possession and constantly put pressure where it was needed. One man who stood out in Real Madrid’s midfield was Mesut Özil. He created many chances and fed players great balls throughout this match.

What ultimately led to Galatasaray’s downfall was their lackluster back-line. Galatasaray’s defense made some fatal errors which eventually led to their demise. Many times, Galatasaray’s defense left open spaces that Real Madrid took full advantage of. There were several glimpses of frustration and lack of focus that translated to midfield. Even though Galatasaray’s midfield were persistent, they had a hard time providing proper balls to strikers. This didn’t allow their forwards to execute a proper goal. In my opinion, it seemed as though Galatasary’s pace and energy declined as the match progressed.

Going back to defense: Real Madrid’s backline, on the other hand, had put forward a spectacular side of talent. They were strong, focused, and determined. Someone who had stood out to me was young-talent, Varane. He did a fantastic job clearing the ball away from any threats and made necessary challenges to win over the ball. Also, taking on someone like Didier Drogba isn’t easy to do, but Varane did a excellent job keeping up with him.

Final thoughts: Real Madrid put forth a brilliant style of play with a much deserved win. If they can stick to this kind of momentum until the second-leg, then I do not see them having a problem advancing to the next round. Unless Galatasaray can buck-up their defense, prevent Real Madrid from scoring during the second-leg, and somehow manage to get 4 goals (at least) I really don’t see Galatasaray advancing.

Written by: Laxmi Patel

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Image via Real Madrid

Image via Real Madrid

Image via Real Madrid